WSCC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Walters State Community College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How many WSCC first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore WSCC retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.

• WSCC Retention Rate
• WSCC 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
• WSCC Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

WSCC Retention Rate

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

With 55% students making it past their freshmen year, WSCC has freshmen retention rates similar to the national average.

Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.

When looking at just colleges and universities in Tennessee, the average is 71.48%.

WSCC Graduation Rates

Of the 692 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

Four years after beginning their degree, 26% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 29% of the students had graduated and after eight years 30% 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 WSCC graduation rate 29%.

WSCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

Request More Info About Walters State Community College >

WSCC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 1677 students or 70% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 1677 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 208 transferred to another institution.

• WSCC lost contact with the remaining 1438 who we assumed dropped out.

WSCC 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 WSCC 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 WSCC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Walters State Community College represent 68% of the students in the class of 2015, and 71.24% of WSCC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 26%, first-time students in the WSCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the WSCC graduation rate was 30%, and by the eight year mark, 32% 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.

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

First-Time / Full-Time WSCC Drop Out Rates

1107 first-time / full-time students or 68% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 141 transferred to another institution.

• WSCC lost contact with the remaining 946 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Walters State Community College represent 12.96% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 12%, first-time, part-time students in the WSCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 13%.

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 WSCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time WSCC Drop Out Rates

271 first-time / part-time students or 87% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 4 are still enrolled.

• 15 transferred to another institution.

• WSCC lost contact with the remaining 252 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

281 WSCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 11.67% 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 36%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 37%.

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.

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

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

178 non first-time / part-time students or 63% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 2 are still enrolled.

• 33 transferred to another institution.

• WSCC lost contact with the remaining 143 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

186 WSCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 7.73% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 33%, 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 35%.

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.

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

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

121 non first-time / part-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 5 are still enrolled.

• 19 transferred to another institution.

• WSCC lost contact with the remaining 97 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