WVC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Wenatchee Valley College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Are students coming back to WVC after their first year? Are WVC students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.

• WVC 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
• WVC Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

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

With % students making it past their freshmen year, WVC 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 Washington, the average is 73.95%.

WVC Graduation Rates

Of the 2,110 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

Four years after beginning their degree, 33% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 47% of the students had graduated and after eight years 49% 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 WVC graduation rate 47%.

WVC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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WVC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 2304 students or 51% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 2304 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 722 transferred to another institution.

• WVC lost contact with the remaining 1519 who we assumed dropped out.

WVC 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 WVC 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 WVC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Wenatchee Valley College represent 22% of the students in the class of 2015, and 17.20% of WVC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 33%, first-time students in the WVC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the WVC graduation rate was 36%, 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.

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

First-Time / Full-Time WVC Drop Out Rates

628 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.

• 221 transferred to another institution.

• WVC lost contact with the remaining 392 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Wenatchee Valley College represent 7.24% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 25%, first-time, part-time students in the WVC 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 WVC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time WVC Drop Out Rates

240 first-time / part-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 5 are still enrolled.

• 87 transferred to another institution.

• WVC lost contact with the remaining 148 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

1677 WVC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 37.45% 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 57%, 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 58%.

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.

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

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

702 non first-time / part-time students or 42% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 21 are still enrolled.

• 188 transferred to another institution.

• WVC lost contact with the remaining 493 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

1471 WVC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 32.85% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 49%, 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.

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

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

734 non first-time / part-time students or 50% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 22 are still enrolled.

• 226 transferred to another institution.

• WVC lost contact with the remaining 486 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