by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Simpson College 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 Simpson College. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes and how long it takes.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 81% students making it past their freshmen year, Simpson College 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 Iowa, the average is 68.94%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Simpson College | 81% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Iowa | 68.94% |
Of the 318 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 63% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 66% of the students had graduated and after eight years 67% 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 Simpson College graduation rate 66%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 303 | 63% |
| Six Years | 318 | 66% |
| Eight Years | 4 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 157 | 33% |
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 157 students or 33% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 157 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
97 transferred to another institution.
Simpson College lost contact with the remaining 60 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 97 | 61.8% |
| Dropped Out | 60 | 38.2% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 67% |
| Black / African-American | 67% |
| Hispanic | 56% |
| International | 100% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 67% |
| Unknown | 69% |
| White | 66% |
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 Simpson College 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 Simpson College represent 73.28% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Simpson College graduation rate was 66%, and by the eight year mark, 67% 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 | Simpson College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 63% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 66% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 67% | 47.82% |
115 first-time / full-time students or 33% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
83 transferred to another institution.
Simpson College lost contact with the remaining 32 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 83 | 72.17% |
| Dropped Out | 32 | 27.83% |
We don’t have data for this cohort at Simpson College.
Returning / full-time students at Simpson College represent 15.45% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Simpson College graduation rate was 74%, and by the eight year mark, 74% 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 | Simpson College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 74% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 74% | 55.07% |
19 non first-time / part-time students or 26% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
8 transferred to another institution.
Simpson College lost contact with the remaining 11 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 8 | 42.11% |
| Dropped Out | 11 | 57.89% |
Returning / part-time students at Simpson College represent 11.27% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Simpson College graduation rate was 56%, and by the eight year mark, 57% 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 | Simpson College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 52% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 56% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 57% | 37.80% |
23 non first-time / part-time students or 43% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
6 transferred to another institution.
Simpson College lost contact with the remaining 17 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 6 | 26.09% |
| Dropped Out | 17 | 73.91% |
