Blackburn College: Student Right-to-Know
Blackburn College is pleased to provide the following information regarding our institution’s retention, graduation/completion rates, and student diversity. The information is provided in compliance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The figures below are based on the US Department of Education’s definitions, and are reported annually to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Questions related to this report may be directed to the Office of Institutional Research at 217-854-5594 or Dr. Kristi Nelms.
RETENTION, GRADUATION, AND COMPLETION RATES
Retention Rates
Retention Rates are calculated based on parameters defined by the US Department of Education and must be reported annually to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). Each fall, all first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates form a cohort. The following fall, the cohort is examined to determine the number of students that have returned. This is also known as Fall to Fall retention.
These rates below show the percentage of degree/certificate seeking undergraduate students who begin in the fall term who return the next fall term (1 year later).
| Report Year | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 5-Year Average |
| Year of Fall Entry | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | — |
| Cohort Count (class size) | 145 | 167 | 111 | 116 | 76 | 123 |
| Retention Rate (1-year) | 70% | 58% | 69% | 67% | 38% | 60% |
Graduation Rates
Graduation Rates are calculated based on parameters defined by the US Department of Education and must be reported annually to NCES. Each fall, all first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates form a cohort. Students in the cohort are tracked for 150% of the normal time of their program (6-years) to see how many complete their degree.
The rates below show the percentage of degree/certificate seeking, first-time, full-time, undergraduate students who begin in a specific fall term (cohort) and complete their programs within 150% of normal time to completion, as defined by NCES. For Blackburn students enrolled in a 4-year academic degree program, for instance, the graduation rate shows the percentage of the students in a specific entering class who graduate within 6 years.
| Report Year | 2018-19 | 2019–20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 5-Year Average |
| Year of Fall Entry | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | — |
| Cohort Count (class size) | 135 | 114* | 166 | 159 | 168* | 148 |
| Graduation Rate (6-Year) | 52% | 39% | 45% | 46% | 35% | 43% |
*Cohort decreased due to death of one student
| 2022-23 Report Year (2015 Cohort) | # in Cohort | % in Cohort | # Completers within 150% | 6-Year Graduation Rate |
| Gender | ||||
| Female | 96 | 57% | 32 | 33% |
| Male | 72 | 43% | 26 | 36% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||||
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Asian | 2 | 1% | 1 | 50% |
| Black or African American | 26 | 15% | 8 | 31% |
| Hispanics of Any Race | 9 | 5% | 1 | 11% |
| Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Non-resident Alien | 1 | 1% | 0 | 0% |
| White | 122 | 73% | 47 | 39% |
| Two or More Races | 6 | 4% | 1 | 17% |
| Race & Ethnicity Unknown | 2 | 1% | 0 | 0% |
Graduation Rates for Recipients of a Pell Grant or Stafford Loan
Recipients of a Pell Grant and Recipients of a Subsidized Stafford Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant are mutually exclusive; a student is included in only one subgroup below. These rates show the percentage of degree/certificate seeking, first-time, full-time, undergraduate students who begin in a specific fall term (cohort) and complete their programs within 6 years (150% of normal time completion, as defined by NCES).
| 2022-23 Report Year (2016 Cohort) | # in Cohort | 6-Year Graduation Rate |
| Total Bachelor’s or Equivalent Degree-seeking Cohort | 168 | 35% |
| Recipients of a Pell Grant | 110 | 31% |
| Recipients of a Subsidized Stafford Loan; no Pell Grant | 31 | 42% |
| Did not receive a Pell Grant or Subsidized Stafford Loan | 27 | 41% |
Transfer-Out Rates
At this time, Blackburn has elected not to report this statistic because our mission does not include providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in other institutions and due to the additional time required to track this information.