YVC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Yakima Valley College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding YVC 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.

• YVC 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
• YVC 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, YVC 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%.

YVC Graduation Rates

Of the 2,579 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

Four years after beginning their degree, 30% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 44% of the students had graduated and after eight years 46% of this class completed their degree.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official YVC graduation rate 44%.

YVC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

Request More Info About Yakima Valley College >

YVC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 3153 students or 54% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 3153 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1269 transferred to another institution.

• YVC lost contact with the remaining 1760 who we assumed dropped out.

YVC 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 YVC 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 YVC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Yakima Valley College represent 18% of the students in the class of 2015, and 14.00% of YVC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 30%, first-time students in the YVC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the YVC graduation rate was 34%, and by the eight year mark, 35% 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.

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

First-Time / Full-Time YVC Drop Out Rates

691 first-time / full-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 306 transferred to another institution.

• YVC lost contact with the remaining 343 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Yakima Valley College represent 10.56% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 24%, first-time, part-time students in the YVC 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 YVC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time YVC Drop Out Rates

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

Of those who did not finish:

• 11 are still enrolled.

• 193 transferred to another institution.

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

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

2210 YVC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 37.95% 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 53%, 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 55%.

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.

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

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

995 non first-time / part-time students or 45% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 31 are still enrolled.

• 378 transferred to another institution.

• YVC lost contact with the remaining 586 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

1929 YVC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 33.13% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 46%, 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 48%.

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.

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

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

1011 non first-time / part-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 40 are still enrolled.

• 392 transferred to another institution.

• YVC lost contact with the remaining 579 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