October 1, 2023 4:58 am

Local News

Pennsylvania College Graduation Rates This Decade

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Mohamed Bughrara

According to the latest data from Pennsylvania, the average college graduation rate is 69.48 percent with just over 49,000 of the 70,803 students completing their degree within 6 years. 

There is a notable uptick in students completing their education when factoring in a couple of additional years since only 56.4 percent of students in the state graduate by the end of their traditional four years.  In Pennsylvania colleges, 39,932 students graduated in four years, an added 7,896 students graduated in five years and an additional 1,232 students graduated in six years.

When looking closely at the numbers of who is graduating there is a slight gender distinction with 66 percent of the graduates identifying asmale, while 72 percent identify as female. Last year, 20,858 male and 28,333 female students graduated, finishing their studies after six years..

Pennsylvania colleges also have a strong retention rate – the percentage of students that return to college for their sophomore year – of 79.51 percent for full-time students although that number drops to63.26 percent for part-time students.

The average transfer-out rate – the number of students who have transferred out of another educational institution –  is 15.44 percent.