by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at UIU? 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 74% students making it past their freshmen year, UIU 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 | |
|---|---|
| UIU | 74% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Iowa | 68.94% |
Of the 1,090 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
30% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 50% in six years, and 51% in eight years.
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 UIU graduation rate 50%.
The average length of time it takes an UIU undergraduate student to complete their bachelor's degree is 4.15 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 958 | 44% |
| Six Years | 1,090 | 50% |
| Eight Years | 35 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,061 | 49% |
Approximately 1061 students or 49% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1061 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
538 transferred to another institution.
UIU lost contact with the remaining 501 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 538 | 50.7% |
| Dropped Out | 501 | 47.2% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Black / African-American | 15% |
| Hispanic | 20% |
| International | 5% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 23% |
| White | 47% |
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 UIU 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 Upper Iowa University represent 14% of the students in the class of 2015, and 10.37% of UIU bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 30%, first-time students in the UIU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the UIU graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 38% 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 | UIU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 37% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 38% | 47.82% |
188 first-time / full-time students or 62% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
105 transferred to another institution.
UIU lost contact with the remaining 82 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 105 | 55.85% |
| Dropped Out | 82 | 43.62% |
First-time / part-time students at Upper Iowa University represent 2.10% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 24%, first-time, part-time students in the UIU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 26%.
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 | UIU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 17% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 24% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 26% | 23.72% |
34 first-time / part-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
15 transferred to another institution.
UIU lost contact with the remaining 18 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 2.94% |
| Transferred | 15 | 44.12% |
| Dropped Out | 18 | 52.94% |
1218 UIU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 55.54% 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 55%, 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 56%.
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 | UIU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 55% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 56% | 55.07% |
529 non first-time / part-time students or 44% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
14 are still enrolled.
257 transferred to another institution.
UIU lost contact with the remaining 258 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 14 | 2.65% |
| Transferred | 257 | 48.58% |
| Dropped Out | 258 | 48.77% |
624 UIU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 28.45% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 48%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 50%.
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 | UIU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 48% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 50% | 37.80% |
310 non first-time / part-time students or 50% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
6 are still enrolled.
161 transferred to another institution.
UIU lost contact with the remaining 143 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 6 | 1.94% |
| Transferred | 161 | 51.94% |
| Dropped Out | 143 | 46.13% |
