by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding U-M 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 97% students making it past their freshmen year, U-M 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 Michigan, the average is 70.80%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| U-M | 97% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Michigan | 70.80% |
Of the 7429 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 83% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 93% of the students had graduated and after eight years 93% 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 U-M graduation rate 93%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 6596 | 83% |
| Six Years | 7429 | 93% |
| Eight Years | 35 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 526 | 7% |
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 526 students or 7% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 526 students who did not complete their degree?
11 are still enrolled.
325 transferred to another institution.
U-M lost contact with the remaining 182 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 11 | 2.1% |
| Transferred | 325 | 61.8% |
| Dropped Out | 182 | 34.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 91% |
| Asian | 96% |
| Black / African-American | 86% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 88% |
| International | 93% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 92% |
| Unknown | 94% |
| White | 94% |
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 U-M 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 Michigan-Ann Arbor represent 83.74% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the U-M graduation rate was 93%, and by the eight year mark, 93% 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 | U-M | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 82% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 93% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 93% | 47.82% |
437 first-time / full-time students or 7% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
15 are still enrolled.
285 transferred to another institution.
U-M lost contact with the remaining 137 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 15 | 3.43% |
| Transferred | 285 | 65.22% |
| Dropped Out | 137 | 31.35% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor represent 0.19% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the U-M graduation rate was 87%, and by the eight year mark, 87% 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 | U-M | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 53% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 87% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 87% | 23.72% |
2 first-time / part-time students or 13% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
2 transferred to another institution.
U-M lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 2 | 100.00% |
| Dropped Out | 0 | 0.00% |
Returning / full-time students at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor represent 15.42% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the U-M graduation rate was 93%, and by the eight year mark, 93% 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 | U-M | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 93% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 93% | 55.07% |
83 non first-time / part-time students or 7% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
36 transferred to another institution.
U-M lost contact with the remaining 43 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 4.82% |
| Transferred | 36 | 43.37% |
| Dropped Out | 43 | 51.81% |
Returning / part-time students at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor represent 0.65% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the U-M graduation rate was 90%, and by the eight year mark, 92% 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 | U-M | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 77% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 90% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 92% | 37.80% |
4 non first-time / part-time students or 8% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
2 transferred to another institution.
U-M lost contact with the remaining 2 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 2 | 50.00% |
| Dropped Out | 2 | 50.00% |
