by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Iowa 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 90% students making it past their freshmen year, Iowa 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 Iowa, the average is 68.94%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Iowa | 90% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Iowa | 68.94% |
Of the 5361 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 55% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 72% of the students had graduated and after eight years 73% 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 Iowa graduation rate 72%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 4089 | 55% |
| Six Years | 5361 | 72% |
| Eight Years | 73 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 2023 | 27% |
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 2023 students or 27% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2023 students who did not complete their degree?
19 are still enrolled.
1232 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 765 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 19 | 0.9% |
| Transferred | 1232 | 60.9% |
| Dropped Out | 765 | 37.8% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 75% |
| Asian | 80% |
| Black / African-American | 53% |
| Hawaiian | 67% |
| Hispanic | 67% |
| International | 77% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 66% |
| Unknown | 71% |
| White | 74% |
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.
The majority of students at Iowa 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 University of Iowa represent 70.83% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Iowa graduation rate was 74%, and by the eight year mark, 75% 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 | Iowa | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 55% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 74% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 75% | 47.82% |
1338 first-time / full-time students or 25% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
19 are still enrolled.
952 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 367 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 19 | 1.42% |
| Transferred | 952 | 71.15% |
| Dropped Out | 367 | 27.43% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Iowa represent 5.69% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Iowa graduation rate was 62%, and by the eight year mark, 63% 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 | Iowa | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 20% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 62% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 63% | 23.72% |
159 first-time / part-time students or 37% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
92 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 65 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 1.26% |
| Transferred | 92 | 57.86% |
| Dropped Out | 65 | 40.88% |
Returning / full-time students at University of Iowa represent 18.56% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Iowa graduation rate was 72%, and by the eight year mark, 73% 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 | Iowa | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 72% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 73% | 55.07% |
378 non first-time / part-time students or 27% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
147 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 226 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 1.32% |
| Transferred | 147 | 38.89% |
| Dropped Out | 226 | 59.79% |
Returning / part-time students at University of Iowa represent 4.92% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Iowa graduation rate was 59%, and by the eight year mark, 60% 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 | Iowa | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 49% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 59% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 60% | 37.80% |
148 non first-time / part-time students or 40% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
41 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 107 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 41 | 27.70% |
| Dropped Out | 107 | 72.30% |
