by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding WKU 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 percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 78% students making it past their freshmen year, WKU 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 Kentucky, the average is 67.55%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| WKU | 78% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Kentucky | 67.55% |
There were approximately 2629 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 41% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 52% of the students had graduated and after eight years 53% 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 WKU graduation rate 52%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 2079 | 41% |
| Six Years | 2629 | 52% |
| Eight Years | 54 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 2373 | 47% |
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 2373 students or 47% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2373 students who did not complete their degree?
12 are still enrolled.
1058 transferred to another institution.
WKU lost contact with the remaining 1286 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 12 | 0.5% |
| Transferred | 1058 | 44.6% |
| Dropped Out | 1286 | 54.2% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 69% |
| Black / African-American | 29% |
| Hawaiian | 67% |
| Hispanic | 36% |
| International | 72% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 37% |
| White | 60% |
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 WKU 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 Western Kentucky University represent 63.95% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the WKU graduation rate was 51%, and by the eight year mark, 52% 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 | WKU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 37% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 51% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 52% | 47.82% |
1556 first-time / full-time students or 48% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
14 are still enrolled.
803 transferred to another institution.
WKU lost contact with the remaining 739 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 14 | 0.90% |
| Transferred | 803 | 51.61% |
| Dropped Out | 739 | 47.49% |
First-time / part-time students at Western Kentucky University represent 1.72% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the WKU graduation rate was 10%, and by the eight year mark, 11% 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 | WKU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 2% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 10% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 11% | 23.72% |
77 first-time / part-time students or 89% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
16 transferred to another institution.
WKU lost contact with the remaining 60 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.30% |
| Transferred | 16 | 20.78% |
| Dropped Out | 60 | 77.92% |
Returning / full-time students at Western Kentucky University represent 22.29% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the WKU graduation rate was 62%, and by the eight year mark, 63% 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 | WKU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 62% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 63% | 55.07% |
420 non first-time / part-time students or 37% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
150 transferred to another institution.
WKU lost contact with the remaining 263 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 1.67% |
| Transferred | 150 | 35.71% |
| Dropped Out | 263 | 62.62% |
Returning / part-time students at Western Kentucky University represent 12.04% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the WKU 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 30.46% after four years, 36.03% after six years, and 37.80% after eight years.
| Completions | WKU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 41% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 46% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 47% | 37.80% |
320 non first-time / part-time students or 53% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
89 transferred to another institution.
WKU lost contact with the remaining 224 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 2.19% |
| Transferred | 89 | 27.81% |
| Dropped Out | 224 | 70.00% |
