by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding RCC 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 65% students making it past their freshmen year, RCC has freshmen retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Virginia, the average is 69.66%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| RCC | 65% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Virginia | 69.66% |
There were approximately 199 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 29% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 31% of the students had graduated and after eight years 32% 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 RCC graduation rate 31%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 185 | 29% |
| Six Years | 199 | 31% |
| Eight Years | 5 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 437 | 68% |
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.
Approximately 437 students or 68% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 437 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
100 transferred to another institution.
RCC lost contact with the remaining 330 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 100 | 22.9% |
| Dropped Out | 330 | 75.5% |
Traditional first-time, full-time students under 25 tend to graduate in four years far more often than other students. Some schools serve mostly traditional students while others serve more 'non-traditional' students — part-timers or those returning after time away — who commonly take longer to finish.
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.
A meaningful share of students at RCC are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
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 Rappahannock Community College represent 30.42% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the RCC graduation rate was 41%, and by the eight year mark, 42% 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.
| Completions | RCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 37% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 41% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 42% | 47.82% |
114 first-time / full-time students or 58% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
33 transferred to another institution.
RCC lost contact with the remaining 80 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.88% |
| Transferred | 33 | 28.95% |
| Dropped Out | 80 | 70.18% |
First-time / part-time students at Rappahannock Community College represent 40.41% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the RCC graduation rate was 25%, and by the eight year mark, 26% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, and 23.72% after eight years.
| Completions | RCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 23% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 25% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 26% | 23.72% |
192 first-time / part-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
45 transferred to another institution.
RCC lost contact with the remaining 143 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 2.08% |
| Transferred | 45 | 23.44% |
| Dropped Out | 143 | 74.48% |
Returning / full-time students at Rappahannock Community College represent 7.18% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the RCC graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 37% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | RCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 37% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 37% | 55.07% |
29 non first-time / part-time students or 63% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
6 transferred to another institution.
RCC lost contact with the remaining 22 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 3.45% |
| Transferred | 6 | 20.69% |
| Dropped Out | 22 | 75.86% |
Returning / part-time students at Rappahannock Community College represent 22.00% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the RCC graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 28% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 30.46% after four years, 36.03% after six years, and 37.80% after eight years.
| Completions | RCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 26% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 27% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 28% | 37.80% |
102 non first-time / part-time students or 72% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
16 transferred to another institution.
RCC lost contact with the remaining 85 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.98% |
| Transferred | 16 | 15.69% |
| Dropped Out | 85 | 83.33% |
