by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding UAA 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 freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 71% students making it past their freshmen year, UAA 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 Alaska, the average is 68.50%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| UAA | 71% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Alaska | 68.50% |
There were approximately 1053 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 21% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 30% of the students had graduated and after eight years 33% 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 UAA graduation rate 30%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 720 | 21% |
| Six Years | 1053 | 30% |
| Eight Years | 99 | 3% |
| Did Not Complete | 2358 | 67% |
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 2358 students or 67% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2358 students who did not complete their degree?
33 are still enrolled.
858 transferred to another institution.
UAA lost contact with the remaining 1415 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 33 | 1.4% |
| Transferred | 858 | 36.4% |
| Dropped Out | 1415 | 60.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 9% |
| Asian | 31% |
| Black / African-American | 29% |
| Hawaiian | 15% |
| Hispanic | 23% |
| International | 42% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 18% |
| Unknown | 32% |
| White | 35% |
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 UAA are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at University of Alaska Anchorage represent 42.39% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the UAA graduation rate was 32%, and by the eight year mark, 36% 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 | UAA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 20% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 32% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 36% | 47.82% |
947 first-time / full-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
47 are still enrolled.
319 transferred to another institution.
UAA lost contact with the remaining 581 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 47 | 4.96% |
| Transferred | 319 | 33.69% |
| Dropped Out | 581 | 61.35% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Alaska Anchorage represent 22.56% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the UAA graduation rate was 14%, and by the eight year mark, 17% 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 | UAA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 8% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 14% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 17% | 23.72% |
660 first-time / part-time students or 83% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
15 are still enrolled.
180 transferred to another institution.
UAA lost contact with the remaining 465 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 15 | 2.27% |
| Transferred | 180 | 27.27% |
| Dropped Out | 465 | 70.45% |
Returning / full-time students at University of Alaska Anchorage represent 16.50% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the UAA 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 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | UAA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 45% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 46% | 55.07% |
310 non first-time / part-time students or 54% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
10 are still enrolled.
157 transferred to another institution.
UAA lost contact with the remaining 143 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 10 | 3.23% |
| Transferred | 157 | 50.65% |
| Dropped Out | 143 | 46.13% |
Returning / part-time students at University of Alaska Anchorage represent 18.55% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the UAA graduation rate was 31%, and by the eight year mark, 32% 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 | UAA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 22% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 31% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 32% | 37.80% |
441 non first-time / part-time students or 68% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
13 are still enrolled.
202 transferred to another institution.
UAA lost contact with the remaining 226 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 13 | 2.95% |
| Transferred | 202 | 45.80% |
| Dropped Out | 226 | 51.25% |
