by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding West Liberty University 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 69% students making it past their freshmen year, West Liberty University has freshmen retention rates near the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in West Virginia, the average is 70.53%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| West Liberty University | 69% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| West Virginia | 70.53% |
There were approximately 356 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 36% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 54% of the students had graduated and after eight years 55% 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 West Liberty University graduation rate 54%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 238 | 36% |
| Six Years | 356 | 54% |
| Eight Years | 4 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 298 | 45% |
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 298 students or 45% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 298 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
7 transferred to another institution.
West Liberty University lost contact with the remaining 288 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 7 | 2.3% |
| Dropped Out | 288 | 96.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Black / African-American | 33% |
| Hispanic | 33% |
| International | 71% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 67% |
| Unknown | 70% |
| White | 61% |
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.
The majority of students at West Liberty University 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 students at West Liberty University represent 67.12% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the West Liberty University graduation rate was 60%, and by the eight year mark, 61% 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 | West Liberty University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 36% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 60% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 61% | 47.82% |
172 first-time / full-time students or 39% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
4 transferred to another institution.
West Liberty University lost contact with the remaining 167 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.58% |
| Transferred | 4 | 2.33% |
| Dropped Out | 167 | 97.09% |
First-time / part-time students at West Liberty University represent 0.30% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the West Liberty University graduation rate was 0%, and by the eight year mark, 0% 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 | West Liberty University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 0% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 0% | 23.72% |
2 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
1 transferred to another institution.
West Liberty University lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 1 | 50.00% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 50.00% |
Returning / full-time students at West Liberty University represent 26.67% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the West Liberty University graduation rate was 46%, and by the eight year mark, 47% 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 | West Liberty University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 46% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 47% | 55.07% |
93 non first-time / part-time students or 53% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
2 transferred to another institution.
West Liberty University lost contact with the remaining 89 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 2.15% |
| Transferred | 2 | 2.15% |
| Dropped Out | 89 | 95.70% |
Returning / part-time students at West Liberty University represent 5.91% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the West Liberty University graduation rate was 21%, and by the eight year mark, 21% 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 | West Liberty University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 18% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 21% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 21% | 37.80% |
31 non first-time / part-time students or 79% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
0 transferred to another institution.
West Liberty University lost contact with the remaining 31 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 31 | 100.00% |
