by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Sacred Heart 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 83% 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 | 83% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Connecticut | 72.64% |
There were approximately 1162 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 67% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 71% of the students had graduated and after eight years 72% 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 Sacred Heart graduation rate 71%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1086 | 67% |
| Six Years | 1162 | 71% |
| Eight Years | 12 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 457 | 28% |
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 457 students or 28% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 457 students who did not complete their degree?
2 are still enrolled.
359 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 94 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 0.4% |
| Transferred | 359 | 78.6% |
| Dropped Out | 94 | 20.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Asian | 75% |
| Black / African-American | 68% |
| Hawaiian | 33% |
| Hispanic | 67% |
| International | 70% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 65% |
| Unknown | 71% |
| White | 77% |
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.
The majority of students at Sacred Heart are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at Sacred Heart University represent 81.50% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Sacred Heart graduation rate was 73%, and by the eight year mark, 74% 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 | Sacred Heart | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 69% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 73% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 74% | 47.82% |
346 first-time / full-time students or 26% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
291 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 54 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.29% |
| Transferred | 291 | 84.10% |
| Dropped Out | 54 | 15.61% |
First-time / part-time students at Sacred Heart University represent 0.31% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Sacred Heart graduation rate was 40%, and by the eight year mark, 40% 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 | Sacred Heart | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 40% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 40% | 23.72% |
3 first-time / part-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
3 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 3 | 100.00% |
| Dropped Out | 0 | 0.00% |
Returning / full-time students at Sacred Heart University represent 11.52% of the students in the class of 2023.
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 this group is 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | Sacred Heart | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 72% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 73% | 55.07% |
50 non first-time / part-time students or 27% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
33 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 17 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 33 | 66.00% |
| Dropped Out | 17 | 34.00% |
Returning / part-time students at Sacred Heart University represent 6.68% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Sacred Heart graduation rate was 46%, and by the eight year mark, 47% 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 | Sacred Heart | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 40% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 46% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 47% | 37.80% |
58 non first-time / part-time students or 53% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
32 transferred to another institution.
Sacred Heart lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 5.17% |
| Transferred | 32 | 55.17% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 39.66% |
