National Collegiate Retention and Persistence-to-Degree Rates Since 1983, ACT has collected a comprehensive database of first-to-second-year retention rates and persistence-to-degree rates. These rates provide national benchmarks for institution type and level of selectivity. Data are compiled by ACT from the ACT stitutional Data Questionnaire, an annual online survey of information collected from two-year and four-year postsecondary institutions. First-to-Second-Year Retention Rates Table 1. Summary Table: National First-to-Second-Year Retention Rates by stitutional Type Table 2. First-to-Second-Year Retention Rates: Two-Year stitutions by Admission Table 3. First-to-Second-Year Retention Rates: Four-Year Public stitutions by Level of and Degrees Offered Table. First-to-Second-Year Retention Rates: Four-Year Private stitutions by Level of and Degrees Offered Persistence-to-Degree Rates Table. Summary Table: National Persistence-to-Degree Rates by stitutional Type Table. National Persistence-to-Degree Rates: Two-Year stitutions by Level of Table 7. National Persistence-to-Degree Rates: Four-Year Public stitutions by Degrees Offered and Level of Table 8. National Persistence-to-Degree Rates: Four-Year Private stitutions by Degrees Offered and Level of To view this content, go to www.act.org/research and search on retention. 2017 by ACT, c. All rights reserved. MS2807
Important formation About These Tables Cohort description: First-time/full-time students who were first enrolled at a postsecondary institution in fall 201. Retention rate: Percent of first-time/full-time students who first enrolled in fall 201 and were also enrolled in fall 201 at the same institution. Persistence-to-degree rate: Percent of students completing a degree within a designated time frame at the same institution. The tables in this document are based on the year in which a particular cohort enrolled as first-time/full-time degree-seeking students, as illustrated below. Number of to Complete 2 3 Year of First Enrollment 201 2013 2012 2011 2010 These reports are based on data accumulated through June 1, 2017. Many of the tables are reported by institutional selectivity. The selectivity categories are based on the general descriptions below. Level ACT Test Middle 0% SAT Test Middle 0%* Definition Highly 2 30 1710 2000 Majority admitted from top 10% of high school class 21 2 170 1770 Majority admitted from top 2% of high school class Traditional 18 2 1290 10 Majority admitted from top 0% of high school class Liberal 17 22 1230 130 Majority admitted from bottom 0% of high school class Open 1 21 1170 180 Generally open to all with high school diploma or equivalent * SAT score ranges are a point-to-point concordance with ACT scores based on a joint study by ACT and the College Board. ranges may vary from one institution to another. 2
Table 1 Summary Table: National First-to-Second-Year Retention Rates by stitutional Type Degree Level/Control N (%) SD* Two-Year Public 713 7. 10. Two-Year Private. 21. BA/BS Public 93. 1.7 BA/BS Private 23 72. 18.3 MA/MS/MBA/1st Professional Public 172 9.9 12.1 MA/MS/MBA/1st Professional Private 11 73. 13.2 PhD Public 23 79.0 10.9 PhD Private 29 81.2 10.8 Total 2189 8.8 NA * Standard Deviation Source: ACT stitutional Data File, 2017 3
Table 2 First-to-Second-Year Retention Rates: Two-Year stitutions by Admission Two-Year Private stitutions Two-Year Public stitutions stitutions in Row N (%) SD Highly 2 93.0 1 2.0 3 82.7 17.9 8.0 2.0 2 3.0.7 7 7.9 2.1 Traditional 8 71. 18.0 12 7.1 12.2 20 2.9 1.1 Liberal 3 8.7 1.0 2.0 10.1 8. 12.0 Open 27.3 19.1 93 7. 10. 720 7. 10.9 stitutions in Column. 21. 713 7. 10. 78 7.9 11. Source: ACT stitutional Data File, 2017
Table 3 First-to-Second-Year Retention Rates: Four-Year Public stitutions by Level of and Degrees Offered Degrees Only and Master s Degrees Only, Master s, and Doctoral Degrees stitutions in Row N (%) SD Highly 3 9.3 2. 87. 10.2 28 93.8 2.7 3 93.1.8 82.8 9. 18 81.3.9 82. 13. 8 82.3 12.2 Traditional 31 71.2 9.7 117 70. 8.1 1 7.9 7.1 293 72.7 8.1 Liberal 73.0 10.7 7 8.7 10. 70. 0. 1 70. 8.9 Open 0.2 11.9 2.8 1. 2 72.0 2.8 77. 13. stitutions in Column 93. 1.7 172 9.9 12.1 23 79.0 10.9 08 73.2 13. Source: ACT stitutional Data File, 2017
Table First-to-Second-Year Retention Rates: Four-Year Private stitutions by Level of and Degrees Offered Degrees Only and Master s Degrees Only, Master s, and Doctoral Degrees stitutions in Row N (%) SD Highly 30 93.3 3.2 19 92.2. 9 9.0 3.1 98 93.9 3. 1 82. 9.1 108 81.8 8. 82 82. 7.7 21 82.3 8. Traditional 82 7.1 12.9 22 71.0 9.9 122 7. 8.3 28 71. 10. Liberal 20 2.9 12.9 2 9. 1.2 8 78. 1.8 3 3. 1. Open 0 0.9 2. 3 2.9 18. 8 7. 18. 93 2.8 22.1 stitutions in Column 23 72. 18.3 11 73. 13.2 29 81.2 10.8 923 7. 1. Source: ACT stitutional Data File, 2017
Table Summary Table: National Persistence-to-Degree* Rates by stitutional Type Degree Level/Control N (%) SD Two-Year Public 3 22.0 1.0 Two-Year Private 17.9 32.0 BA/BS Public 9 3.9 20. BA/BS Private 18 7.9 2.1 MA/1st Professional Public 11 0.0 18. MA/1st Professional Private 298.8 1. PhD Public 213 1.9 18. PhD Private 231 3.2 18.0 Total 11.9 NA * Completion in three years for associate s degree; five years for BA/BS Source: ACT stitutional Data File, 2017 7
Table National Persistence-to-Degree Rates: Two-Year stitutions by Level of Two-Year Private stitutions Two-Year Public stitutions stitutions in Row 2 3 2 3 2 3 Highly N = 1 1 1 1 1 1 (%) = 80.0 8.0 87.0 80.0 8.0 87.0 SD = N = 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 (%) = 71.0 80.0 3. 0.0 SD = 0.2. N = 7 3 3 11 9 Traditional (%) = 32. 39.8 0.7 2.8 38.8 39.3 30. 39.2 0.0 SD = 27. 22. 10.3 28.2 2.3 32. 2. 22.0 21. N = 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 Liberal (%) = 1.0 18.0 20.0.0 1.0 3.0 20.0 SD = 7.1 1. N = 7 10 8 28 3 29 292 3 277 Open (%) = 32...1 12. 21.7 2.2 12.9 22.3 2.8 SD = 33. 3. 3.7 11. 1. 1. 12. 1.0 1. stitutions in Column N = 17 17 13 290 3 273 307 371 28 (%) = 3..9.8 12. 22.0 2.3 13.9 23.1 2.2 SD = 30. 32.0 30. 11.8 1.0 1.8 1. 1.9 1.3 Source: ACT stitutional Data File, 2017 8
Table 7 National Persistence-to-Degree Rates: Four-Year Public stitutions by Degrees Offered and Level of Degrees Only and Master s Degrees Only, Master s, and Doctoral Degrees Highly N = 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 (%) = 80. 82.0 83. 0.0 77.7 80.7 3.3 80.2 82. SD = 2.1.2 3. 13.7 7. 7.8 1. 8.0 7.0 N = 3 3 3 1 1 1 2 3 (%) =.0 3.3 7.3. 0.9 3.7 2.8 0.3.2 SD = 32.2 2.1 21.2 1. 12.7 12. 18.3 13.9 12.1 N = 2 2 2 100 99 103 128 12 130 Traditional (%) = 2.7 38.8 2.8 2. 39.7.0 2.0 2.7 9.2 SD = 12.3 13.7 1.0 1. 1.8 1.0 11. 13.7 12.2 N = 7 3 2 2 Liberal (%) = 21.0 3. 38.2 28.7 0.8 1.1 0.7 33.0 37. SD =.7 9.8 10. 22.0 19.0 18.3.8 22. 20. N = 1 1 17 18 18 19 Open (%) = 12.9 23. 2. 9. 17.7 22.7 SD = 10.7 19.7 21.3. 11.7 13. stitutions in Column N = 0 9 3 12 11 17 221 213 221 (%) = 2. 3.9 39.7 2.8 0.0 3.8 3.0 1.9 7. SD = 19. 20. 21. 17. 18. 17.7 19.8 18. 1. Source: ACT stitutional Data File, 2017 9
Table 8 National Persistence-to-Degree Rates: Four-Year Private stitutions by Degrees Offered and Level of Degrees Only and Master s Degrees Only, Master s, and Doctoral Degrees Highly N = 27 27 27 19 19 19 7 (%) = 83.3 87.1 88.0 7. 81. 83.1 78.7 87.3 89. SD = 8.3 7.3.8 9.2 8. 8.0 13.9 8.2.3 N = 2 3 88 8 89 7 73 73 (%) =.1 9.3 70.2 7.. 7..2.7 7.2 SD = 1.0 1.1 1.8 13.8 10.7 10.0 12. 11.7 11. N = 3 3 170 18 177 102 102 10 Traditional (%) = 3.8.3.1 39.9 8.8 0.9 1.7 2..2 SD = 1.9 1.2 1. 1. 12.3 12.1 1.2 12.7 11.7 N = 7 7 10 1 1 1 7 Liberal (%) = 27.3 3.3 39. 30.3 39.2. 3.3 9. 1. SD = 11.2 10.0 11.1 1.0 13. 12.9 12. 13. 13.9 N = 2 19 17 10 11 13 7 7 7 Open (%) = 21. 2.7 2.1 2.8 3.9..1.0 0.1 SD = 18.3 17.7 1. 19. 21.8 21.0 32.2 30.9 30. stitutions in Column N = 1 18 13 301 298 312 233 231 239 (%) = 1. 7.9 9.1..8 7.1 3. 3.2. SD = 2.2 2.1 2. 18. 1. 1. 20.0 18.0 17. Source: ACT stitutional Data File, 2017 10