by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding SOWELA 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.
The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 59% students making it past their freshmen year, SOWELA 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 Louisiana, the average is 67.86%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| SOWELA | 59% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Louisiana | 67.86% |
There were approximately 793 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 49% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 50% of the students had graduated and after eight years 51% 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 SOWELA graduation rate 50%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 768 | 49% |
| Six Years | 793 | 50% |
| Eight Years | 20 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 768 | 49% |
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 768 students or 49% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 768 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
221 transferred to another institution.
SOWELA lost contact with the remaining 520 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 221 | 28.8% |
| Dropped Out | 520 | 67.7% |
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 SOWELA 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 SOWELA Technical Community College represent 41.44% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SOWELA graduation rate was 50%, and by the eight year mark, 52% 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 | SOWELA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 48% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 50% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 52% | 47.82% |
318 first-time / full-time students or 48% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
17 are still enrolled.
65 transferred to another institution.
SOWELA lost contact with the remaining 236 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 17 | 5.35% |
| Transferred | 65 | 20.44% |
| Dropped Out | 236 | 74.21% |
First-time / part-time students at SOWELA Technical Community College represent 12.98% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SOWELA graduation rate was 32%, and by the eight year mark, 33% 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 | SOWELA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 32% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 33% | 23.72% |
135 first-time / part-time students or 67% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
25 transferred to another institution.
SOWELA lost contact with the remaining 107 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 2.22% |
| Transferred | 25 | 18.52% |
| Dropped Out | 107 | 79.26% |
Returning / full-time students at SOWELA Technical Community College represent 26.96% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SOWELA graduation rate was 65%, and by the eight year mark, 67% 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 | SOWELA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 65% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 67% | 55.07% |
142 non first-time / part-time students or 33% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
68 transferred to another institution.
SOWELA lost contact with the remaining 70 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 2.82% |
| Transferred | 68 | 47.89% |
| Dropped Out | 70 | 49.30% |
Returning / part-time students at SOWELA Technical Community College represent 18.62% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SOWELA graduation rate was 41%, and by the eight year mark, 42% 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 | SOWELA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 39% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 41% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 42% | 37.80% |
173 non first-time / part-time students or 58% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
63 transferred to another institution.
SOWELA lost contact with the remaining 107 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 1.73% |
| Transferred | 63 | 36.42% |
| Dropped Out | 107 | 61.85% |
