Philander Smith Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Philander Smith College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding Philander Smith 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.

• Philander Smith Retention Rate
• Philander Smith 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
• Philander Smith Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Philander Smith Retention Rate

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

With 58% students making it past their freshmen year, Philander Smith has freshmen retention rates similar to the national average.

Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.

When looking at just colleges and universities in Arkansas, the average is 66.23%.

Philander Smith Graduation Rates

There were approximately 66 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?

After four years 18% of the cohort graduated. After six years 23% had completed their degree, and 24% after eight years.

The official graduation rate of Philander Smith is 23%. This is the percentage of students who completed their degree within 150% of the published time. That means six years for a standard bachelor's degree program.

The average length of time it takes an Philander Smith undergraduate student to complete their bachelor's degree is 4.25 years.

Philander Smith Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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Philander Smith Drop Out Rate

Approximately 223 students or 76% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 223 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 147 transferred to another institution.

• Philander Smith lost contact with the remaining 74 who we assumed dropped out.

Philander Smith Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.

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 Philander Smith are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.

First-Time / Full-Time Philander Smith Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Philander Smith College represent 68% of the students in the class of 2015, and 86.36% of Philander Smith bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 18%, first-time students in the Philander Smith class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the Philander Smith graduation rate was 29%, and by the eight year mark, 30% 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.

Philander Smith First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time Philander Smith Drop Out Rates

139 first-time / full-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 94 transferred to another institution.

• Philander Smith lost contact with the remaining 43 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Philander Smith College represent 3.08% of the students in the class of 2015.

First-Time / Part-Time Philander Smith Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time Philander Smith Drop Out Rates

9 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 7 transferred to another institution.

• Philander Smith lost contact with the remaining 2 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

71 Philander Smith students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 24.32% 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 13%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 14%.

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.

Philander Smith Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time Philander Smith Drop Out Rates

61 non first-time / part-time students or 86% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 42 transferred to another institution.

• Philander Smith lost contact with the remaining 19 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

14 Philander Smith students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 4.79% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 0%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 0%.

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.

Philander Smith Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time Philander Smith Drop Out Rates

14 non first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 4 transferred to another institution.

• Philander Smith lost contact with the remaining 10 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