by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Wake Technical Community College 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 72% students making it past their freshmen year, Wake Technical Community College 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 North Carolina, the average is 66.53%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Wake Technical Community College | 72% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| North Carolina | 66.53% |
There were approximately 2758 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 27% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 30% of the students had graduated and after eight years 32% 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 Wake Technical Community College graduation rate 30%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 2415 | 27% |
| Six Years | 2758 | 30% |
| Eight Years | 147 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 6145 | 68% |
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 6145 students or 68% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 6145 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
2582 transferred to another institution.
Wake Technical Community College lost contact with the remaining 3402 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 2582 | 42.0% |
| Dropped Out | 3402 | 55.4% |
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.
A meaningful share of students at Wake Technical Community College are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at Wake Technical Community College represent 33.40% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Wake Technical Community College graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 38% 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 | Wake Technical Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 33% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 37% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 38% | 47.82% |
1861 first-time / full-time students or 62% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
52 are still enrolled.
831 transferred to another institution.
Wake Technical Community College lost contact with the remaining 978 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 52 | 2.79% |
| Transferred | 831 | 44.65% |
| Dropped Out | 978 | 52.55% |
First-time / part-time students at Wake Technical Community College represent 36.23% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Wake Technical Community College graduation rate was 22%, and by the eight year mark, 24% 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 | Wake Technical Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 18% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 22% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 24% | 23.72% |
2481 first-time / part-time students or 76% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
72 are still enrolled.
816 transferred to another institution.
Wake Technical Community College lost contact with the remaining 1593 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 72 | 2.90% |
| Transferred | 816 | 32.89% |
| Dropped Out | 1593 | 64.21% |
Returning / full-time students at Wake Technical Community College represent 10.94% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Wake Technical Community College graduation rate was 43%, and by the eight year mark, 44% 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 | Wake Technical Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 43% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 44% | 55.07% |
556 non first-time / part-time students or 56% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
10 are still enrolled.
322 transferred to another institution.
Wake Technical Community College lost contact with the remaining 224 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 10 | 1.80% |
| Transferred | 322 | 57.91% |
| Dropped Out | 224 | 40.29% |
Returning / part-time students at Wake Technical Community College represent 19.43% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Wake Technical Community College graduation rate was 28%, and by the eight year mark, 29% 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 | Wake Technical Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 24% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 28% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 29% | 37.80% |
1247 non first-time / part-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
27 are still enrolled.
613 transferred to another institution.
Wake Technical Community College lost contact with the remaining 607 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 27 | 2.17% |
| Transferred | 613 | 49.16% |
| Dropped Out | 607 | 48.68% |
