by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many UCO first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore UCO retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 72% students making it past their freshmen year, UCO 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 Oklahoma, the average is 65.20%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| UCO | 72% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Oklahoma | 65.20% |
How many of the estimated 1,933 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
Four years after beginning their degree, 15% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 39% of the students had graduated and after eight years 42% 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 UCO graduation rate 39%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at UCO? The standard length of time for most students is 4.77 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1,249 | 25% |
| Six Years | 1,933 | 39% |
| Eight Years | 141 | 3% |
| Did Not Complete | 2,899 | 58% |
Approximately 2899 students or 58% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2899 students who did not complete their degree?
76 are still enrolled.
1366 transferred to another institution.
UCO lost contact with the remaining 1419 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 76 | 2.6% |
| Transferred | 1366 | 47.1% |
| Dropped Out | 1,419 | 48.9% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 32% |
| Asian | 40% |
| Black / African-American | 29% |
| Hawaiian | 25% |
| Hispanic | 33% |
| International | 34% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 29% |
| Unknown | 75% |
| White | 38% |
Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.
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 UCO are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-time / full-time students at University of Central Oklahoma represent 42% of the students in the class of 2015, and 40.87% of UCO bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 15%, first-time students in the UCO class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the UCO graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 40% 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 | UCO | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 15% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 37% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 40% | 47.82% |
1259 first-time / full-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
76 are still enrolled.
646 transferred to another institution.
UCO lost contact with the remaining 558 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 76 | 6.04% |
| Transferred | 646 | 51.31% |
| Dropped Out | 558 | 44.32% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Central Oklahoma represent 8.29% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 7%, first-time, part-time students in the UCO class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 18%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.
| First-Time / Part-Time Completions | UCO | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 7% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 18% | 23.72% |
338 first-time / part-time students or 82% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
85 transferred to another institution.
UCO lost contact with the remaining 245 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 2.37% |
| Transferred | 85 | 25.15% |
| Dropped Out | 245 | 72.49% |
1670 UCO students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 33.52% of the students in the class of 2015.
Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.
With a six year graduation rate of 51%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 53%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | UCO | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 51% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 53% | 55.07% |
791 non first-time / part-time students or 47% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
26 are still enrolled.
390 transferred to another institution.
UCO lost contact with the remaining 375 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 26 | 3.29% |
| Transferred | 390 | 49.30% |
| Dropped Out | 375 | 47.41% |
783 UCO students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 15.72% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 33%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 35%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | UCO | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 33% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 35% | 37.80% |
511 non first-time / part-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
25 are still enrolled.
245 transferred to another institution.
UCO lost contact with the remaining 241 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 25 | 4.89% |
| Transferred | 245 | 47.95% |
| Dropped Out | 241 | 47.16% |
