by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Pennsylvania Highlands retention and graduation rates. First year retention rates let you know how many first-time, full-time students students come back for their second year. Graduation rates tell you how many students complete their degree 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 59% students making it past their freshmen year, Pennsylvania Highlands 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 Pennsylvania, the average is 73.24%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Highlands | 59% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Pennsylvania | 73.24% |
Of the 153 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 32% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 34% of the students had graduated and after eight years 36% 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 Pennsylvania Highlands graduation rate 34%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 145 | 32% |
| Six Years | 153 | 34% |
| Eight Years | 11 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 291 | 64% |
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 291 students or 64% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 291 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
131 transferred to another institution.
Pennsylvania Highlands lost contact with the remaining 156 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 131 | 45.0% |
| Dropped Out | 156 | 53.6% |
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 Pennsylvania Highlands are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College represent 62.26% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Pennsylvania Highlands graduation rate was 36%, and by the eight year mark, 38% 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 | Pennsylvania Highlands | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 34% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 36% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 38% | 47.82% |
175 first-time / full-time students or 62% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
79 transferred to another institution.
Pennsylvania Highlands lost contact with the remaining 93 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 1.71% |
| Transferred | 79 | 45.14% |
| Dropped Out | 93 | 53.14% |
First-time / part-time students at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College represent 21.04% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Pennsylvania Highlands graduation rate was 15%, and by the eight year mark, 18% 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 | Pennsylvania Highlands | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 13% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 15% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 18% | 23.72% |
80 first-time / part-time students or 82% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
28 transferred to another institution.
Pennsylvania Highlands lost contact with the remaining 51 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.25% |
| Transferred | 28 | 35.00% |
| Dropped Out | 51 | 63.75% |
Returning / full-time students at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College represent 10.63% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Pennsylvania Highlands graduation rate was 49%, and by the eight year mark, 51% 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 | Pennsylvania Highlands | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 49% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 51% | 55.07% |
24 non first-time / part-time students or 49% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
19 transferred to another institution.
Pennsylvania Highlands lost contact with the remaining 5 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 19 | 79.17% |
| Dropped Out | 5 | 20.83% |
Returning / part-time students at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College represent 6.07% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Pennsylvania Highlands graduation rate was 50%, and by the eight year mark, 57% 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 | Pennsylvania Highlands | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 46% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 50% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 57% | 37.80% |
12 non first-time / part-time students or 43% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
5 transferred to another institution.
Pennsylvania Highlands lost contact with the remaining 7 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 5 | 41.67% |
| Dropped Out | 7 | 58.33% |
