by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at Sacred Heart? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 87% students making it past their freshmen year, Sacred Heart 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 Connecticut, the average is 72.64%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Sacred Heart | 87% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Connecticut | 72.64% |
Of the 908 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
67% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 68% in six years, and 69% in 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 Sacred Heart graduation rate 68%.
The average Sacred Heart student takes 4.07 years to graduate with their bachelors.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 838 | 63% |
| Six Years | 908 | 68% |
| Eight Years | 13 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 418 | 31% |
Approximately 418 students or 31% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 418 students who did not complete their degree?
1 are still enrolled.
322 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 88 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.2% |
| Transferred | 322 | 77.0% |
| Dropped Out | 88 | 21.1% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 76% |
| Black / African-American | 57% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 67% |
| International | 67% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 71% |
| Unknown | 69% |
| White | 74% |
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 Sacred Heart 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 Sacred Heart University represent 74% of the students in the class of 2015, and 78.74% of Sacred Heart bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 67%, first-time students in the Sacred Heart class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Sacred Heart graduation rate was 72%, and by the eight year mark, 73% 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 | Sacred Heart | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 67% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 72% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 73% | 47.82% |
269 first-time / full-time students or 27% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
236 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 31 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.37% |
| Transferred | 236 | 87.73% |
| Dropped Out | 31 | 11.52% |
First-time / part-time students at Sacred Heart University represent 0.22% of the students in the class of 2015.
| First-Time / Part-Time Completions | Sacred Heart | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 1% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 1% | 23.72% |
3 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
1 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 66.67% |
| Transferred | 1 | 33.33% |
| Dropped Out | 0 | 0.00% |
141 Sacred Heart students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 10.52% 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 72%.
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 | Sacred Heart | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 70% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 72% | 55.07% |
39 non first-time / part-time students or 28% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
29 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 10 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 29 | 74.36% |
| Dropped Out | 10 | 25.64% |
206 Sacred Heart students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 15.37% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 46%, 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 48%.
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.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | Sacred Heart | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 46% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 48% | 37.80% |
107 non first-time / part-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
56 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 47 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 3.74% |
| Transferred | 56 | 52.34% |
| Dropped Out | 47 | 43.93% |
