Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how South Dakota State's retention and graduation rates impact you. First year retention rates let you know how many students come back for their sophomore year. Graduation rates tell you how long it takes to complete a degree at South Dakota State. Remember, every extra semester it takes to graduate will increase the cost of your degree.
On This Page You'll Find:
- What These Rates Have To Do With You
- First to Second Year Retention Rate at South Dakota State
- Graduation Rates at South Dakota State University
South Dakota State Has a Better Than Average Freshman Retention Rate
With 79.0% of students making it past their freshman year, South Dakota State University has freshman retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 72.0%. When looking at just colleges and universities in South Dakota, the average is 74.0%.
South Dakota State Freshmen Retention Rate Rankings
Any Questions?
- When you attend a school that is high quality and a good fit for you, it is more likely you'll return for another year. Read more about why retention is so important.
- How many students make it past freshman year? You might be surprised at the answer.
Overall, 54.6% of South Dakota State Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At South Dakota State, there were 2,889 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2013. By 2015, six years after beginning their degree, 54.6% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 56.5% of this class eventually completed their degree.
We consider the "on-time" graduation rate for a bachelor's degree to be four years, but colleges typically report their graduation rates after six or even eight years.
This implies that 43.5% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 1,259 students, 17 were still working towards their degree, 824 had transferred to a different institution, and South Dakota State lost contact with the remaining 417 whom we assume dropped out.
Some Students Take More Time to Graduate
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years (on-time). Some schools cater mostly to traditional students while others cater to “non-traditional” students who may be attending part time and thus are likely to take longer to graduate.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-Time / Full-time Students at South Dakota State Represent 69.5% of the Class of 2013 and 73.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 29.0%, first-time students in the South Dakota State class of 2013 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After six years, the graduation rate was 57.4% and by 2017, 59.3% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 33.4% after four years, 47.6% after six years, and 49.2% after eight years.
The Graduation Rate at South Dakota State is About What we had Anticipated
Studies have shown that high-achieving students are more likely to complete their degree on time. Given the academic preparedness of the first-time / full-time students accepted to South Dakota State, we expected that after six years about 59.4% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at South Dakota State
40.7% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2013 had not Completed Their Degree by 2017
Of these 817 students, 11 were still working towards their degree, 587 had transferred to a different institution, and South Dakota State lost contact with the remaining 219 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at South Dakota State Represent 3.2% of the Class of 2013 and 1.3% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 19.6%, first-time students in the South Dakota State class of 2013 who attended classes part-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 22.8%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 22.2% after six years and 24.5% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at South Dakota State
77.2% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2013 had not Completed Their Degree by 2017
Of these 71 students, 2 were still working towards their degree, 40 had transferred to a different institution, and South Dakota State lost contact with the remaining 29 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at South Dakota State Represent 17.9% of the Class of 2013 and 19.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 60.7%, returning students in the South Dakota State class of 2013 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 61.9%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 55.0% after six years and 56.2% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Full-time Graduation Rates at South Dakota State
38.1% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2013 had not Completed Their Degree by 2017
Of these 197 students, 3 were still working towards their degree, 102 had transferred to a different institution, and South Dakota State lost contact with the remaining 92 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at South Dakota State Represent 9.4% of the Class of 2013 and 6.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 33.8%, returning students in the South Dakota State class of 2013 who attended classes part-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 36.4%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.7% after six years and 38.6% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at South Dakota State
63.6% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2013 had not Completed Their Degree by 2017
Of these 173 students, 1 were still working towards their degree, 95 had transferred to a different institution, and South Dakota State lost contact with the remaining 77 whom we assume dropped out.
