by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding USC Sumter 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 59% students making it past their freshmen year, USC Sumter has freshmen retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in South Carolina, the average is 65.91%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| USC Sumter | 59% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| South Carolina | 65.91% |
There were approximately 109 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 26% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 27% of the students had graduated and after eight years 28% 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 USC Sumter graduation rate 27%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 105 | 26% |
| Six Years | 109 | 27% |
| Eight Years | 3 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 286 | 72% |
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 286 students or 72% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 286 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
204 transferred to another institution.
USC Sumter lost contact with the remaining 81 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 204 | 71.3% |
| Dropped Out | 81 | 28.3% |
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 USC Sumter 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 South Carolina-Sumter represent 53.12% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the USC Sumter graduation rate was 31%, and by the eight year mark, 31% 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 | USC Sumter | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 31% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 31% | 47.82% |
146 first-time / full-time students or 69% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
107 transferred to another institution.
USC Sumter lost contact with the remaining 38 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.68% |
| Transferred | 107 | 73.29% |
| Dropped Out | 38 | 26.03% |
First-time / part-time students at University of South Carolina-Sumter represent 2.74% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the USC Sumter graduation rate was 9%, and by the eight year mark, 18% 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 | USC Sumter | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 9% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 9% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 18% | 23.72% |
9 first-time / part-time students or 82% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
3 transferred to another institution.
USC Sumter lost contact with the remaining 6 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 3 | 33.33% |
| Dropped Out | 6 | 66.67% |
Returning / full-time students at University of South Carolina-Sumter represent 22.69% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the USC Sumter graduation rate was 34%, and by the eight year mark, 34% 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 | USC Sumter | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 34% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 34% | 55.07% |
59 non first-time / part-time students or 66% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
45 transferred to another institution.
USC Sumter lost contact with the remaining 14 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 45 | 76.27% |
| Dropped Out | 14 | 23.73% |
Returning / part-time students at University of South Carolina-Sumter represent 21.45% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the USC Sumter graduation rate was 14%, and by the eight year mark, 15% 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 | USC Sumter | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 11% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 14% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 15% | 37.80% |
72 non first-time / part-time students or 85% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
49 transferred to another institution.
USC Sumter lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 49 | 68.06% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 31.94% |
