by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding SSC retention and graduation rates. First year retention rates let you know how many first-time, full-time students students come back for their second year. Graduation rates tell you how many students complete their degree and how long it takes.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 63% students making it past their freshmen year, SSC 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 Illinois, the average is 72.64%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| SSC | 63% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Illinois | 72.64% |
There were approximately 400 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 17% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 20% of the students had graduated and after eight years 20% 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 SSC graduation rate 20%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 349 | 17% |
| Six Years | 400 | 20% |
| Eight Years | 10 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 1634 | 80% |
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 1634 students or 80% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1634 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
832 transferred to another institution.
SSC lost contact with the remaining 785 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 832 | 50.9% |
| Dropped Out | 785 | 48.0% |
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.
A meaningful share of students at SSC are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at South Suburban College represent 23.53% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SSC graduation rate was 25%, and by the eight year mark, 26% 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 | SSC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 22% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 25% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 26% | 47.82% |
356 first-time / full-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
177 transferred to another institution.
SSC lost contact with the remaining 176 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 0.84% |
| Transferred | 177 | 49.72% |
| Dropped Out | 176 | 49.44% |
First-time / part-time students at South Suburban College represent 45.11% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SSC graduation rate was 10%, and by the eight year mark, 10% 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 | SSC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 8% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 10% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 10% | 23.72% |
831 first-time / part-time students or 90% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
379 transferred to another institution.
SSC lost contact with the remaining 444 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 0.96% |
| Transferred | 379 | 45.61% |
| Dropped Out | 444 | 53.43% |
Returning / full-time students at South Suburban College represent 8.90% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SSC graduation rate was 35%, and by the eight year mark, 36% 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 | SSC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 35% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 36% | 55.07% |
117 non first-time / part-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
81 transferred to another institution.
SSC lost contact with the remaining 33 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 2.56% |
| Transferred | 81 | 69.23% |
| Dropped Out | 33 | 28.21% |
Returning / part-time students at South Suburban College represent 22.46% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SSC graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 28% 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 | SSC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 24% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 27% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 28% | 37.80% |
330 non first-time / part-time students or 72% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
195 transferred to another institution.
SSC lost contact with the remaining 132 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 0.91% |
| Transferred | 195 | 59.09% |
| Dropped Out | 132 | 40.00% |
