by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding WNCC 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 53% students making it past their freshmen year, WNCC has freshmen retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Nebraska, the average is 73.00%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| WNCC | 53% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Nebraska | 73.00% |
There were approximately 820 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 43% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 46% of the students had graduated and after eight years 47% 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 WNCC graduation rate 46%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 762 | 43% |
| Six Years | 820 | 46% |
| Eight Years | 19 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 930 | 53% |
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 930 students or 53% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 930 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
371 transferred to another institution.
WNCC lost contact with the remaining 540 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 371 | 39.9% |
| Dropped Out | 540 | 58.1% |
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 WNCC 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 Western Nebraska Community College represent 19.90% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the WNCC graduation rate was 32%, and by the eight year mark, 33% 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 | WNCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 29% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 32% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 33% | 47.82% |
235 first-time / full-time students or 67% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
89 transferred to another institution.
WNCC lost contact with the remaining 145 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.43% |
| Transferred | 89 | 37.87% |
| Dropped Out | 145 | 61.70% |
First-time / part-time students at Western Nebraska Community College represent 3.96% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the WNCC graduation rate was 11%, and by the eight year mark, 13% 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 | WNCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 6% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 11% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 13% | 23.72% |
61 first-time / part-time students or 87% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
28 transferred to another institution.
WNCC lost contact with the remaining 33 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 28 | 45.90% |
| Dropped Out | 33 | 54.10% |
Returning / full-time students at Western Nebraska Community College represent 43.24% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the WNCC graduation rate was 58%, and by the eight year mark, 59% 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 | WNCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 58% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 59% | 55.07% |
317 non first-time / part-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
146 transferred to another institution.
WNCC lost contact with the remaining 166 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 1.58% |
| Transferred | 146 | 46.06% |
| Dropped Out | 166 | 52.37% |
Returning / part-time students at Western Nebraska Community College represent 32.90% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the WNCC graduation rate was 44%, and by the eight year mark, 46% 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 | WNCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 41% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 44% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 46% | 37.80% |
317 non first-time / part-time students or 54% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
13 are still enrolled.
108 transferred to another institution.
WNCC lost contact with the remaining 196 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 13 | 4.10% |
| Transferred | 108 | 34.07% |
| Dropped Out | 196 | 61.83% |
