College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

PLNU Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

64% 4-Year Graduation Rate
73% 6-Year Graduation Rate
84% Retention Rate

Point Loma Nazarene University 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How many PLNU first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore PLNU retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.

PLNU Retention Rate

84% Freshmen Retention Rate
Good Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With 84% students making it past their freshmen year, PLNU 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 California, the average is 73.07%.

PLNU Retention  84 out of 100
0%
100%
California Retention  73 out of 100
0%
100%
undefined
Retention Rate
PLNU84%
Nationwide70.57%
California73.07%

PLNU Graduation Rates

73% 6-Year Graduation Rate
20.35% Transfer Rate
5.70% Dropout Rate

How many of the estimated 537 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?

64% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 73% in six years, and 74% in 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 PLNU graduation rate 73%.

The average PLNU student takes 4.09 years to graduate with their bachelors.

Four Year Graduation Rate  65%
0%
100%
Six Year Graduation Rate  73%
0%
100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  74%
0%
100%

PLNU Graduation Rates vs. National Average

undefined

undefined

Completion WithinUndergraduatesPercentage
Four Years47565%
Six Years53773%
Eight Years41%
Did Not Complete19526%
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.
Request More Info About Point Loma Nazarene University
Request More Info About Point Loma Nazarene University >

PLNU Drop Out Rate

Approximately 195 students or 26% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 195 students who did not complete their degree?

undefined
Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled00.0%
Transferred15076.9%
Dropped Out4221.5%

PLNU Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

undefined
Race/EthnicityGraduation Rate
Asian78%
Black / African-American50%
Hawaiian50%
Hispanic68%
International80%
Multi-Ethnic74%
White75%

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

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 PLNU 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 PLNU Graduation Rates

72% First-Time, Full-Time
74% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

First-time / full-time students at Point Loma Nazarene University represent 72% of the students in the class of 2015, and 73.74% of PLNU bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 64%, first-time students in the PLNU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the PLNU graduation rate was 74%, and by the eight year mark, 75% 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.

Four Year Graduation Rate  64 out of 100
0%
100%
Six Year Graduation Rate  74 out of 100
0%
100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  75 out of 100
0%
100%

PLNU First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

undefined
First-Time / Full-Time CompletionsPLNUNationwide
Four Years64%37.92%
Six Years74%46.43%
Eight Years75%47.82%

First-Time / Full-Time PLNU Drop Out Rates

133 first-time / full-time students or 25% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

undefined
First-Time / Full-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled00.00%
Transferred11384.96%
Dropped Out1813.53%

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

0% First-Time, Part-Time

First-time / part-time students at Point Loma Nazarene University represent 0.14% of the students in the class of 2015.

First-Time / Part-Time PLNU Graduation Rates vs. National Average

undefined
First-Time / Part-Time CompletionsPLNUNationwide
Four Years1%14.37%
Six Years1%21.59%
Eight Years1%23.72%

First-Time / Part-Time PLNU Drop Out Rates

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

Of those who did not finish:

undefined
First-Time / Part-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled00.00%
Transferred1100.00%
Dropped Out00.00%

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

27% Returning, Full-Time
70% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

201 PLNU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 27.27% 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 70%, 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 70%.

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.

Six Year Graduation Rate  70 out of 100
0%
100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  70 out of 100
0%
100%

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

undefined
Returning / Full-Time CompletionsPLNUNationwide
Four Years0%49.57%
Six Years70%53.83%
Eight Years70%55.07%

Non First-Time / Full-Time PLNU Drop Out Rates

60 non first-time / part-time students or 30% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

undefined
First-Time / Part-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled11.67%
Transferred3558.33%
Dropped Out2440.00%

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

0% Returning, Part-Time
50% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

2 PLNU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.27% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 50%, 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 50%.

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.

Six Year Graduation Rate  50 out of 100
0%
100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  50 out of 100
0%
100%

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

undefined
Returning / Part-Time CompletionsPLNUNationwide
Four Years0%30.46%
Six Years50%36.03%
Eight Years50%37.80%

Non First-Time / Part-Time PLNU Drop Out Rates

1 non first-time / part-time students or 50% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

undefined
Returning / Part-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled00.00%
Transferred1100.00%
Dropped Out00.00%

More Resources:

References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options