by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Union County 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.
The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 66% students making it past their freshmen year, Union County 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 New Jersey, the average is 74.83%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Union County College | 66% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| New Jersey | 74.83% |
There were approximately 1167 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 26% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 32% of the students had graduated and after eight years 34% 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 Union County College graduation rate 32%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 952 | 26% |
| Six Years | 1167 | 32% |
| Eight Years | 75 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 2385 | 66% |
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 2385 students or 66% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2385 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
721 transferred to another institution.
Union County College lost contact with the remaining 1605 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 721 | 30.2% |
| Dropped Out | 1605 | 67.3% |
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 Union County 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 UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey represent 46.73% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Union County College graduation rate was 39%, and by the eight year mark, 41% 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 | Union County College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 33% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 39% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 41% | 47.82% |
993 first-time / full-time students or 59% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
23 are still enrolled.
234 transferred to another institution.
Union County College lost contact with the remaining 736 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 23 | 2.32% |
| Transferred | 234 | 23.56% |
| Dropped Out | 736 | 74.12% |
First-time / part-time students at UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey represent 20.60% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Union County College graduation rate was 15%, and by the eight year mark, 18% 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 | Union County College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 10% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 15% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 18% | 23.72% |
616 first-time / part-time students or 82% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
17 are still enrolled.
137 transferred to another institution.
Union County College lost contact with the remaining 462 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 17 | 2.76% |
| Transferred | 137 | 22.24% |
| Dropped Out | 462 | 75.00% |
Returning / full-time students at UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey represent 11.72% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Union County College graduation rate was 43%, and by the eight year mark, 44% 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 | Union County College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 43% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 44% | 55.07% |
237 non first-time / part-time students or 56% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
99 transferred to another institution.
Union County College lost contact with the remaining 131 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 2.95% |
| Transferred | 99 | 41.77% |
| Dropped Out | 131 | 55.27% |
Returning / part-time students at UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey represent 20.95% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Union County College graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 29% 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 | Union County College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 21% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 27% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 29% | 37.80% |
539 non first-time / part-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
12 are still enrolled.
251 transferred to another institution.
Union County College lost contact with the remaining 276 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 12 | 2.23% |
| Transferred | 251 | 46.57% |
| Dropped Out | 276 | 51.21% |
