Penn State Erie Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How many Penn State Erie 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 Penn State Erie. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes and how long it takes.

• Penn State Erie Retention Rate
• Penn State Erie Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• Penn State Erie Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Penn State Erie Retention Rate

Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.

With 83% students making it past their freshmen year, Penn State Erie 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%.

Penn State Erie Graduation Rates

There were approximately 577 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, 44% of the students had graduated and after eight years 45% 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 Penn State Erie graduation rate 44%.

Penn State Erie Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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.

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Penn State Erie Drop Out Rate

Approximately 718 students or 55% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 718 students who did not complete their degree?

• 7 are still enrolled.

• 515 transferred to another institution.

• Penn State Erie lost contact with the remaining 196 who we assumed dropped out.

Penn State Erie Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

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.

The majority of students at Penn State Erie are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.

First-Time / Full-Time Penn State Erie Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College represent 89.43% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Penn State Erie graduation rate was 43%, and by the eight year mark, 44% 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.

Penn State Erie First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time Penn State Erie Drop Out Rates

657 first-time / full-time students or 56% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 7 are still enrolled.

• 487 transferred to another institution.

• Penn State Erie lost contact with the remaining 163 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College represent 0.92% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Penn State Erie graduation rate was 8%, and by the eight year mark, 8% 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.

First-Time / Part-Time Penn State Erie Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time Penn State Erie Drop Out Rates

11 first-time / part-time students or 92% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• Penn State Erie lost contact with the remaining 10 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

Returning / full-time students at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College represent 8.88% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Penn State Erie graduation rate was 63%, and by the eight year mark, 63% 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.

Penn State Erie Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time Penn State Erie Drop Out Rates

43 non first-time / part-time students or 37% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 24 transferred to another institution.

• Penn State Erie lost contact with the remaining 19 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Returning / part-time students at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College represent 0.77% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Penn State Erie graduation rate was 30%, and by the eight year mark, 30% 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.

Penn State Erie Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time Penn State Erie Drop Out Rates

7 non first-time / part-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 3 transferred to another institution.

• Penn State Erie lost contact with the remaining 4 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics