by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding SEARK College 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 44% students making it past their freshmen year, SEARK College 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 Arkansas, the average is 66.23%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| SEARK College | 44% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Arkansas | 66.23% |
How many of the estimated 192 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 28% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 30% of the students had graduated and after eight years 32% 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 SEARK College graduation rate 30%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 176 | 28% |
| Six Years | 192 | 30% |
| Eight Years | 9 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 436 | 68% |
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 436 students or 68% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 436 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
73 transferred to another institution.
SEARK College lost contact with the remaining 355 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 73 | 16.7% |
| Dropped Out | 355 | 81.4% |
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.
A meaningful share of students at SEARK College are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at Southeast Arkansas College represent 32.97% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SEARK College graduation rate was 31%, and by the eight year mark, 33% 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 | SEARK College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 31% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 33% | 47.82% |
140 first-time / full-time students or 67% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
14 transferred to another institution.
SEARK College lost contact with the remaining 123 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 2.14% |
| Transferred | 14 | 10.00% |
| Dropped Out | 123 | 87.86% |
First-time / part-time students at Southeast Arkansas College represent 31.71% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SEARK College 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 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, and 23.72% after eight years.
| Completions | SEARK College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 21% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 25% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 26% | 23.72% |
150 first-time / part-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
28 transferred to another institution.
SEARK College lost contact with the remaining 119 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 2.00% |
| Transferred | 28 | 18.67% |
| Dropped Out | 119 | 79.33% |
Returning / full-time students at Southeast Arkansas College represent 15.07% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SEARK College graduation rate was 47%, and by the eight year mark, 48% 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 | SEARK College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 47% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 48% | 55.07% |
50 non first-time / part-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
16 transferred to another institution.
SEARK College lost contact with the remaining 33 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 2.00% |
| Transferred | 16 | 32.00% |
| Dropped Out | 33 | 66.00% |
Returning / part-time students at Southeast Arkansas College represent 20.25% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SEARK College 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 30.46% after four years, 36.03% after six years, and 37.80% after eight years.
| Completions | SEARK College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 22% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 25% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 26% | 37.80% |
96 non first-time / part-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
15 transferred to another institution.
SEARK College lost contact with the remaining 80 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.04% |
| Transferred | 15 | 15.62% |
| Dropped Out | 80 | 83.33% |
