by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Southwest Georgia Technical 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 56% students making it past their freshmen year, Southwest Georgia Technical 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 Georgia, the average is 65.40%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Southwest Georgia Technical College | 56% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Georgia | 65.40% |
How many of the estimated 525 students in the class of 2023 actually finished 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, 43% of the students had graduated and after eight years 45% 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 Southwest Georgia Technical College graduation rate 43%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 483 | 40% |
| Six Years | 525 | 43% |
| Eight Years | 19 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 670 | 55% |
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 670 students or 55% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 670 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
225 transferred to another institution.
Southwest Georgia Technical College lost contact with the remaining 414 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 225 | 33.6% |
| Dropped Out | 414 | 61.8% |
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.
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 Southwest Georgia Technical College are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
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 Southern Regional Technical College represent 40.86% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Southwest Georgia Technical College graduation rate was 45%, and by the eight year mark, 46% 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 | Southwest Georgia Technical College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 42% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 45% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 46% | 47.82% |
267 first-time / full-time students or 54% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
12 are still enrolled.
78 transferred to another institution.
Southwest Georgia Technical College lost contact with the remaining 177 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 12 | 4.49% |
| Transferred | 78 | 29.21% |
| Dropped Out | 177 | 66.29% |
First-time / part-time students at Southern Regional Technical College represent 29.32% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Southwest Georgia Technical College graduation rate was 40%, and by the eight year mark, 42% 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 | Southwest Georgia Technical College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 34% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 40% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 42% | 23.72% |
208 first-time / part-time students or 58% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
61 transferred to another institution.
Southwest Georgia Technical College lost contact with the remaining 138 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 4.33% |
| Transferred | 61 | 29.33% |
| Dropped Out | 138 | 66.35% |
Returning / full-time students at Southern Regional Technical College represent 16.64% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Southwest Georgia Technical College 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 | Southwest Georgia Technical College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 51% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 52% | 55.07% |
96 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.
42 transferred to another institution.
Southwest Georgia Technical College lost contact with the remaining 51 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 3.12% |
| Transferred | 42 | 43.75% |
| Dropped Out | 51 | 53.12% |
Returning / part-time students at Southern Regional Technical College represent 13.18% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Southwest Georgia Technical College graduation rate was 36%, and by the eight year mark, 38% 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 | Southwest Georgia Technical College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 34% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 36% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 38% | 37.80% |
99 non first-time / part-time students or 62% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
44 transferred to another institution.
Southwest Georgia Technical College lost contact with the remaining 48 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 7.07% |
| Transferred | 44 | 44.44% |
| Dropped Out | 48 | 48.48% |
