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A national resource for students has declared, “��Ӱֱ�� State is one of the best in the country” for freshman retention, and has also praised the college for graduation rates of students at risk of not completing their degree.

Based on the profile of first-time/full-time students entering ��Ӱֱ�� State, determined that fewer than half of these students would normally graduate in a reasonable time at most colleges. However, by choosing ��Ӱֱ�� State, these students graduate 68.7 percent of the time, a rate that is 22.5 percent higher than the average.

“Therefore, ��Ӱֱ�� State is among the highest-performing schools nationwide in graduating students when their anticipated academic achievement is factored in,” concluded College Factual, which defines a reasonable graduation time period as three to six years, depending on the type of degree.

On the topic of retention, College Factual found that, “With 88 percent of students staying on for a second year, ��Ӱֱ�� State is one of the best in the country when it comes to freshman retention rates.”

“We are extremely pleased that our graduation and freshman retention rates are recognized as among the very best,” said ��Ӱֱ�� State President Dr. Skip Sullivan. “Our students show tremendous drive and a great interest to succeed. This achievement is a testament to the quality of education at ��Ӱֱ�� State and the tremendous student experience that we offer. It’s the result of countless hours of hard work and dedication by our students, faculty, and staff.”

College Factual’s trend chart on retention showed that in 2011, 66 percent of ��Ӱֱ�� State first-year students remained for a second year, and that the share increased to 88 percent in 2016. US News & World Report agrees that the number of first-year students staying for their sophomore year is a powerful measure of success for a college, ranking ��Ӱֱ�� State No. 4 among public schools on its Best Retention Rate list in the 11-state Northern Regional Colleges category.