UST Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

University of St. Thomas 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How long does it take to earn a degree at UST? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.

• UST Retention Rate
• UST Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• UST Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

UST Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With 83% students making it past their freshmen year, UST 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 Texas, the average is 68.17%.

UST Graduation Rates

Of the 291 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

Four years after beginning their degree, 30% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 57% of the students had graduated and after eight years 59% of this class completed their degree.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official UST graduation rate 57%.

The average UST student takes 4.51 years to graduate with their bachelors.

UST Graduation Rates vs. National Average

Request More Info About University of St. Thomas >

UST Drop Out Rate

Approximately 212 students or 41% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 212 students who did not complete their degree?

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 152 transferred to another institution.

• UST lost contact with the remaining 54 who we assumed dropped out.

UST Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.

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 UST 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 UST Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at University of St. Thomas represent 48% of the students in the class of 2015, and 48.45% of UST bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 30%, first-time students in the UST class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the UST graduation rate was 57%, and by the eight year mark, 59% 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.

UST First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time UST Drop Out Rates

101 first-time / full-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 76 transferred to another institution.

• UST lost contact with the remaining 19 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at University of St. Thomas represent 0.98% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 40%, first-time, part-time students in the UST class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 40%.

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 UST Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time UST Drop Out Rates

3 first-time / part-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• UST lost contact with the remaining 2 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

213 UST students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 41.68% 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 63%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 65%.

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.

UST Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time UST Drop Out Rates

75 non first-time / part-time students or 35% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 54 transferred to another institution.

• UST lost contact with the remaining 21 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

47 UST students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 9.20% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 30%, 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 30%.

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.

UST Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time UST Drop Out Rates

33 non first-time / part-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 21 transferred to another institution.

• UST lost contact with the remaining 12 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• Image Credit: By college under License