by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Penn College first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore Penn College retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 75% students making it past their freshmen year, Penn College has freshmen retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, the average is 73.24%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Penn College | 75% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Pennsylvania | 73.24% |
There were approximately 1,077 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
46% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 49% in six years, and 49% in eight years.
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 Penn College graduation rate 49%.
The typical Penn College student takes 4.32 years to complete their bachelor's degree.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1,027 | 47% |
| Six Years | 1,077 | 49% |
| Eight Years | 7 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,112 | 51% |
Approximately 1112 students or 51% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1112 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
107 transferred to another institution.
Penn College lost contact with the remaining 967 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 107 | 9.6% |
| Dropped Out | 967 | 87.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 33% |
| Asian | 46% |
| Black / African-American | 12% |
| Hispanic | 28% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 21% |
| Unknown | 75% |
| White | 49% |
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.
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.
The majority of students at Penn College are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
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 Pennsylvania College of Technology represent 69% of the students in the class of 2015, and 66.76% of Penn College bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 46%, first-time students in the Penn College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Penn College graduation rate was 48%, and by the eight year mark, 48% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | Penn College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 46% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 48% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 48% | 47.82% |
784 first-time / full-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
73 transferred to another institution.
Penn College lost contact with the remaining 693 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 73 | 9.31% |
| Dropped Out | 693 | 88.39% |
First-time / part-time students at Pennsylvania College of Technology represent 2.81% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 26%, first-time, part-time students in the Penn College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 27%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.
| First-Time / Part-Time Completions | Penn College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 24% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 26% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 27% | 23.72% |
45 first-time / part-time students or 73% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
13 are still enrolled.
7 transferred to another institution.
Penn College lost contact with the remaining 25 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 13 | 28.89% |
| Transferred | 7 | 15.56% |
| Dropped Out | 25 | 55.56% |
519 Penn College students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 23.51% of the students in the class of 2015.
Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.
With a six year graduation rate of 55%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 55%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | Penn College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 55% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 55% | 55.07% |
234 non first-time / part-time students or 45% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
6 are still enrolled.
25 transferred to another institution.
Penn College lost contact with the remaining 203 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 6 | 2.56% |
| Transferred | 25 | 10.68% |
| Dropped Out | 203 | 86.75% |
112 Penn College students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 5.07% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 54%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 55%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | Penn College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 54% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 55% | 37.80% |
49 non first-time / part-time students or 45% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
2 transferred to another institution.
Penn College lost contact with the remaining 46 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 2.04% |
| Transferred | 2 | 4.08% |
| Dropped Out | 46 | 93.88% |
