by our College Data Analytics TeamAre students coming back to PIA after their first year? Are PIA students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 60% students making it past their freshmen year, PIA 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 Pennsylvania, the average is 73.24%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| PIA | 60% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Pennsylvania | 73.24% |
How many of the estimated 140 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
After four years 59% of the cohort graduated. After six years 67% had completed their degree, and 67% after eight years.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official PIA graduation rate 67%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 140 | 67% |
| Six Years | 140 | 67% |
| Eight Years | 0 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 69 | 33% |
Approximately 69 students or 33% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 69 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
13 transferred to another institution.
PIA lost contact with the remaining 56 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 13 | 18.8% |
| Dropped Out | 56 | 81.2% |
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 PIA 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 Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics represent 55% of the students in the class of 2015, and 48.57% of PIA bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 59%, first-time students in the PIA class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the PIA graduation rate was 59%, and by the eight year mark, 59% 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 | PIA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 59% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 59% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 59% | 47.82% |
47 first-time / full-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
6 transferred to another institution.
PIA lost contact with the remaining 41 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 6 | 12.77% |
| Dropped Out | 41 | 87.23% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on PIA first-time, part-time students.
94 PIA students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 44.98% 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 77%, 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 77%.
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 | PIA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 77% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 77% | 55.07% |
22 non first-time / part-time students or 23% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
7 transferred to another institution.
PIA lost contact with the remaining 15 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 7 | 31.82% |
| Dropped Out | 15 | 68.18% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on PIA returning, part-time students.
