by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Principia 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.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 86% students making it past their freshmen year, Principia 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 Illinois, the average is 72.64%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Principia | 86% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Illinois | 72.64% |
There were approximately 104 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
After four years 68% of the cohort graduated. After six years 81% had completed their degree, and 82% after eight years.
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 Principia graduation rate 81%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Principia? The standard length of time for most students is 4.25 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 88 | 68% |
| Six Years | 104 | 81% |
| Eight Years | 2 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 23 | 18% |
Approximately 23 students or 18% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 23 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
5 transferred to another institution.
Principia lost contact with the remaining 18 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 5 | 21.7% |
| Dropped Out | 18 | 78.3% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 100% |
| Black / African-American | 100% |
| Hispanic | 100% |
| International | 64% |
| White | 77% |
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 Principia 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 Principia College represent 84% of the students in the class of 2015, and 83.65% of Principia bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 68%, first-time students in the Principia class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Principia graduation rate was 81%, and by the eight year mark, 82% 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 | Principia | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 68% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 81% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 82% | 47.82% |
19 first-time / full-time students or 18% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
4 transferred to another institution.
Principia lost contact with the remaining 15 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 4 | 21.05% |
| Dropped Out | 15 | 78.95% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Principia first-time, part-time students.
21 Principia students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 16.28% 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 81%, 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 81%.
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 | Principia | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 81% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 81% | 55.07% |
4 non first-time / part-time students or 19% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
1 transferred to another institution.
Principia lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 1 | 25.00% |
| Dropped Out | 3 | 75.00% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Principia returning, part-time students.
