by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Samford first-year students return for their second year, and how many go on to graduate? Retention and graduation rates help you understand how students progress at Samford. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes and how long it takes.
The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 93% students making it past their freshmen year, Samford 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 Alabama, the average is 66.79%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Samford | 93% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Alabama | 66.79% |
Of the 810 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 69% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 76% of the students had graduated and after eight years 77% 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 Samford graduation rate 76%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 727 | 69% |
| Six Years | 810 | 76% |
| Eight Years | 2 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 248 | 23% |
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 248 students or 23% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 248 students who did not complete their degree?
4 are still enrolled.
182 transferred to another institution.
Samford lost contact with the remaining 62 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.6% |
| Transferred | 182 | 73.4% |
| Dropped Out | 62 | 25.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Asian | 75% |
| Black / African-American | 57% |
| Hispanic | 75% |
| International | 67% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 88% |
| Unknown | 86% |
| White | 81% |
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 Samford 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 Samford University represent 86.72% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Samford graduation rate was 77%, and by the eight year mark, 78% 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 | Samford | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 69% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 77% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 78% | 47.82% |
205 first-time / full-time students or 22% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
165 transferred to another institution.
Samford lost contact with the remaining 36 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.95% |
| Transferred | 165 | 80.49% |
| Dropped Out | 36 | 17.56% |
At this time we lack data for this cohort at Samford University.
Returning / full-time students at Samford University represent 9.89% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Samford graduation rate was 88%, and by the eight year mark, 88% 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 | Samford | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 88% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 88% | 55.07% |
13 non first-time / part-time students or 12% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
8 transferred to another institution.
Samford lost contact with the remaining 5 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 8 | 61.54% |
| Dropped Out | 5 | 38.46% |
Returning / part-time students at Samford University represent 3.39% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Samford graduation rate was 17%, and by the eight year mark, 17% 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 | Samford | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 17% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 17% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 17% | 37.80% |
30 non first-time / part-time students or 83% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
9 transferred to another institution.
Samford lost contact with the remaining 21 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 9 | 30.00% |
| Dropped Out | 21 | 70.00% |
