by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many SCC 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 SCC. 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 66% students making it past their freshmen year, SCC has freshmen retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Kentucky, the average is 67.55%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| SCC | 66% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Kentucky | 67.55% |
There were approximately 519 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 31% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 34% of the students had graduated and after eight years 35% 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 SCC graduation rate 34%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 476 | 31% |
| Six Years | 519 | 34% |
| Eight Years | 25 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 993 | 65% |
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 993 students or 65% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 993 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
248 transferred to another institution.
SCC lost contact with the remaining 719 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 248 | 25.0% |
| Dropped Out | 719 | 72.4% |
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 SCC 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 Somerset Community College represent 54.36% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SCC graduation rate was 32%, and by the eight year mark, 34% 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 | SCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 32% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 34% | 47.82% |
551 first-time / full-time students or 66% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
14 are still enrolled.
125 transferred to another institution.
SCC lost contact with the remaining 412 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 14 | 2.54% |
| Transferred | 125 | 22.69% |
| Dropped Out | 412 | 74.77% |
First-time / part-time students at Somerset Community College represent 19.44% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SCC graduation rate was 20%, and by the eight year mark, 22% 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 | SCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 16% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 20% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 22% | 23.72% |
233 first-time / part-time students or 78% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
36 transferred to another institution.
SCC lost contact with the remaining 189 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 3.43% |
| Transferred | 36 | 15.45% |
| Dropped Out | 189 | 81.12% |
Returning / full-time students at Somerset Community College represent 18.27% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SCC graduation rate was 51%, and by the eight year mark, 52% 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 | SCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 51% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 52% | 55.07% |
136 non first-time / part-time students or 48% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
57 transferred to another institution.
SCC lost contact with the remaining 76 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 2.21% |
| Transferred | 57 | 41.91% |
| Dropped Out | 76 | 55.88% |
Returning / part-time students at Somerset Community College represent 7.93% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SCC graduation rate was 38%, and by the eight year mark, 40% 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 | SCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 34% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 38% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 40% | 37.80% |
73 non first-time / part-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
30 transferred to another institution.
SCC lost contact with the remaining 42 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.37% |
| Transferred | 30 | 41.10% |
| Dropped Out | 42 | 57.53% |
