Southern Adventist Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Southern Adventist University 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How many Southern Adventist 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 Southern Adventist. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes and how long it takes.

• Southern Adventist Retention Rate
• Southern Adventist Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• Southern Adventist Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Southern Adventist Retention Rate

The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.

With 83% students making it past their freshmen year, Southern Adventist 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 Tennessee, the average is 71.48%.

Southern Adventist Graduation Rates

There were approximately 406 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?

Four years after beginning their degree, 40% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 59% of the students had graduated and after eight years 60% 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 Southern Adventist graduation rate 59%.

Southern Adventist Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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.

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Southern Adventist Drop Out Rate

Approximately 276 students or 40% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 276 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 137 transferred to another institution.

• Southern Adventist lost contact with the remaining 137 who we assumed dropped out.

Southern Adventist Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

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 Southern Adventist 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 Southern Adventist Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Southern Adventist University represent 70.95% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Southern Adventist graduation rate was 60%, and by the eight year mark, 61% 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.

Southern Adventist First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time Southern Adventist Drop Out Rates

191 first-time / full-time students or 39% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 2 are still enrolled.

• 128 transferred to another institution.

• Southern Adventist lost contact with the remaining 61 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Southern Adventist University represent 1.59% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Southern Adventist graduation rate was 9%, and by the eight year mark, 9% 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.

First-Time / Part-Time Southern Adventist Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time Southern Adventist Drop Out Rates

10 first-time / part-time students or 91% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 0 transferred to another institution.

• Southern Adventist lost contact with the remaining 10 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

Returning / full-time students at Southern Adventist University represent 22.40% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Southern Adventist graduation rate was 63%, and by the eight year mark, 65% 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.

Southern Adventist Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time Southern Adventist Drop Out Rates

55 non first-time / part-time students or 35% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 8 transferred to another institution.

• Southern Adventist lost contact with the remaining 47 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Returning / part-time students at Southern Adventist University represent 5.06% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Southern Adventist graduation rate was 43%, and by the eight year mark, 43% 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.

Southern Adventist Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time Southern Adventist Drop Out Rates

20 non first-time / part-time students or 57% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• Southern Adventist lost contact with the remaining 19 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics
• Image Credit: By Absecon 49 under License