U of M freshman retention rate at all-time high
The percentage of Twin Cities undergraduate freshmen who stay for a second year is at an all-time high, says the University of Minnesota.
At his annual undergraduate update for the Board of Regents, Vice Provost Robert McMaster said last year's Twin Cities freshman class retained 91 percent of its students into the second year.
The retention rates for U of M campuses in Crookston and Duluth were 77 percent and 79 percent respectively. And at Morris and Rochester, the freshman retention rates were 81 and 86 percent.
McMaster said the Twin Cities four-year graduation rate is now at 58 percent, lower than the board of regents' goal of 60 percent.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
"And then we of course are tracking the five- and six-year rate where I think we have some additional progress we have to make to get our, in particular, our six-year rate from 73 percent to 80 percent," McMaster said.
"But more importantly, is when they come here to make that sure we have the curriculum in place so they can expeditiously go through and not be held up because courses are not available or degrees require too many credits," McMaster said.
The lowest reported four-year graduation rates were 36 percent at Crookston and 37 percent in Duluth and 57 percent at Morris. The four-year graduation rate for Rochester was not available.
— Follow Rupa Shenoy on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rupashenoy