by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at Salem? 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 32% students making it past their freshmen year, Salem has freshmen retention rates similar to the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in West Virginia, the average is 70.53%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Salem | 32% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| West Virginia | 70.53% |
How many of the estimated 122 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
After four years 24% of the cohort graduated. After six years 31% had completed their degree, and 32% after eight years.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official Salem graduation rate 31%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Salem? The standard length of time for most students is 4.06 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 113 | 28% |
| Six Years | 122 | 31% |
| Eight Years | 7 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 269 | 68% |
Approximately 269 students or 68% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 269 students who did not complete their degree?
1 are still enrolled.
63 transferred to another institution.
Salem lost contact with the remaining 206 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.4% |
| Transferred | 63 | 23.4% |
| Dropped Out | 206 | 76.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 50% |
| Black / African-American | 19% |
| Hispanic | 38% |
| International | 41% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 100% |
| Unknown | 38% |
| White | 28% |
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 Salem 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 Salem University represent 53% of the students in the class of 2015, and 44.26% of Salem bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 24%, first-time students in the Salem class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Salem graduation rate was 25%, and by the eight year mark, 27% 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 | Salem | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 24% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 25% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 27% | 47.82% |
155 first-time / full-time students or 73% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
37 transferred to another institution.
Salem lost contact with the remaining 118 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.65% |
| Transferred | 37 | 23.87% |
| Dropped Out | 118 | 76.13% |
First-time / part-time students at Salem University represent 2.51% of the students in the class of 2015.
| First-Time / Part-Time Completions | Salem | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 1% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 1% | 23.72% |
10 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
3 transferred to another institution.
Salem lost contact with the remaining 7 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 3 | 30.00% |
| Dropped Out | 7 | 70.00% |
171 Salem students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 42.96% 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 40%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 42%.
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 | Salem | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 40% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 42% | 55.07% |
99 non first-time / part-time students or 58% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
22 transferred to another institution.
Salem lost contact with the remaining 77 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 22 | 22.22% |
| Dropped Out | 77 | 77.78% |
5 Salem students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 1.26% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 0%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 0%.
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.
5 non first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
1 transferred to another institution.
Salem lost contact with the remaining 4 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 1 | 20.00% |
| Dropped Out | 4 | 80.00% |
