by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many OCtech first-year students return for their second year, and how many go on to graduate? Retention and graduation rates help you understand how students progress at OCtech. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes and how long it takes.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 66% students making it past their freshmen year, OCtech has freshmen retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in South Carolina, the average is 65.91%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| OCtech | 66% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| South Carolina | 65.91% |
There were approximately 313 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 32% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 36% of the students had graduated and after eight years 37% of this class completed their degree.
Any student who completes their bachelor's degree within six years is considered to have graduated on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This makes the offical OCtech graduation rate 36%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 272 | 32% |
| Six Years | 313 | 36% |
| Eight Years | 5 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 540 | 63% |
The non-completers rate is anyone who is not still enrolled at the institution after eight years. Both transfer students and drop-outs could be included in this group.
Approximately 540 students or 63% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 540 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
82 transferred to another institution.
OCtech lost contact with the remaining 450 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 82 | 15.2% |
| Dropped Out | 450 | 83.3% |
Traditional first-time, full-time students under 25 tend to graduate in four years far more often than other students. Some schools serve mostly traditional students while others serve more 'non-traditional' students — part-timers or those returning after time away — who commonly take longer to finish.
Traditional Students:
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.
Non-Traditional Students:
Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.
A meaningful share of students at OCtech are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.
First-time / full-time students at Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College represent 41.61% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OCtech graduation rate was 39%, and by the eight year mark, 39% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| Completions | OCtech | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 33% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 39% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 39% | 47.82% |
216 first-time / full-time students or 61% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
46 transferred to another institution.
OCtech lost contact with the remaining 165 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 2.31% |
| Transferred | 46 | 21.30% |
| Dropped Out | 165 | 76.39% |
First-time / part-time students at Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College represent 13.64% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OCtech graduation rate was 22%, and by the eight year mark, 24% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, and 23.72% after eight years.
| Completions | OCtech | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 15% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 22% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 24% | 23.72% |
89 first-time / part-time students or 76% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
2 transferred to another institution.
OCtech lost contact with the remaining 87 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 2 | 2.25% |
| Dropped Out | 87 | 97.75% |
Returning / full-time students at Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College represent 23.78% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OCtech graduation rate was 48%, and by the eight year mark, 48% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | OCtech | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 48% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 48% | 55.07% |
106 non first-time / part-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
16 transferred to another institution.
OCtech lost contact with the remaining 89 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.94% |
| Transferred | 16 | 15.09% |
| Dropped Out | 89 | 83.96% |
Returning / part-time students at Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College represent 20.98% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OCtech graduation rate was 28%, and by the eight year mark, 28% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 30.46% after four years, 36.03% after six years, and 37.80% after eight years.
| Completions | OCtech | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 26% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 28% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 28% | 37.80% |
129 non first-time / part-time students or 72% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
18 transferred to another institution.
OCtech lost contact with the remaining 109 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 1.55% |
| Transferred | 18 | 13.95% |
| Dropped Out | 109 | 84.50% |
