by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at USAFA? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 93% students making it past their freshmen year, USAFA 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 Colorado, the average is 70.70%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| USAFA | 93% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Colorado | 70.70% |
Of the 831 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
77% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 79% in six years, and 79% in eight years.
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 USAFA graduation rate 79%.
The typical USAFA student takes 4.01 years to complete their bachelor's degree.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 817 | 77% |
| Six Years | 831 | 79% |
| Eight Years | 0 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 227 | 21% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 67% |
| Asian | 88% |
| Black / African-American | 88% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 88% |
| International | 93% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 90% |
| Unknown | 79% |
| White | 88% |
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.
The majority of students at USAFA 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 students at United States Air Force Academy represent 100% of the students in the class of 2015, and 100.00% of USAFA bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 77%, first-time students in the USAFA class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the USAFA graduation rate was 79%, and by the eight year mark, 79% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | USAFA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 77% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 79% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 79% | 47.82% |
227 first-time / full-time students or 21% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
0 transferred to another institution.
USAFA lost contact with the remaining 227 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 227 | 100.00% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on USAFA first-time, part-time students.
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on USAFA returning, part-time students.
