Princeton Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Princeton University 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding Princeton 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.

• Princeton Retention Rate
• Princeton 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
• Princeton Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Princeton Retention Rate

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

With 98% students making it past their freshmen year, Princeton 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 New Jersey, the average is 74.83%.

Princeton Graduation Rates

How many of the estimated 1273 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?

Four years after beginning their degree, 88% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 98% of the students had graduated and after eight years 98% 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 Princeton graduation rate 98%.

Princeton 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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Princeton Drop Out Rate

Approximately 27 students or 2% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 27 students who did not complete their degree?

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 7 transferred to another institution.

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

Princeton Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

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 Princeton 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 Princeton Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Princeton University represent 100.00% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Princeton graduation rate was 98%, and by the eight year mark, 98% 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.

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

First-Time / Full-Time Princeton Drop Out Rates

27 first-time / full-time students or 2% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 7 transferred to another institution.

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

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

We don’t have data for this cohort at Princeton University.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

We don’t have data for this cohort at Princeton University.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

We don’t have data for this cohort at Princeton University.

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
• Image Credit: By Quantockgoblin under License