Student Success Metrics

The retention rates for first-time, degree-seeking students at NDU’s three campuses from AY 2020/2021 to AY 2024/2025 show distinct patterns.

At the Main Campus, retention increased steadily from 83.98% in AY 2020/2021 to a peak of 88.68% in AY 2023/2024, before slightly declining to 87.86% in AY 2024/2025. This overall upward trend reflects enhanced student engagement and institutional support following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the national crisis.

The North Lebanon Campus experienced a gradual decline, from 86.92% in AY 2020/2021 to 82.61% in AY 2023/2024, followed by a recovery to 85.43% in AY 2024/2025. This pattern may be influenced by regional economic challenges and recent stabilization efforts.

In contrast, the Shouf Campus showed fluctuating retention rates, rising from 80.00% in AY 2020/2021 to 84.55% in AY 2021/2022, then decreasing in AY 2022/2023, before climbing again to 84.03% in AY 2024/2025.

Retention Rate Calculation Methodology

Retention rates are calculated as the percentage of first-time, degree-seeking students entering each Fall who return as second-year students (either in Fall or Spring). Special, cross-enrolled, and transfer students are excluded, while Freshmen are included.

Main Campus

North Lebanon Campus

Shouf Campus

The 150% graduation rates across NDU’s three campuses reveal distinct patterns, shaped by the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lebanon’s economic crisis, and the ongoing war.

At the Main Campus, graduation rates remained relatively stable, fluctuating slightly from 67.86% in AY 2020/2021 to 68.22% in AY 2024/2025. Despite these minor variations, the campus maintained a consistent trend, reflecting institutional resilience and sustained support for students amid national instability.

The North Lebanon Campus exhibited a more volatile trajectory. Graduation rates fell from 59.87% in AY 2020/2021 to a low of 54.95% in AY 2023/2024, followed by a significant rebound to 67.77% in AY 2024/2025. This sharp recovery may be attributed to enhanced student support and adaptation strategies in a region heavily impacted by prolonged economic hardship.

The Shouf Campus experienced a gradual decline, from 74.07% in AY 2020/2021 to 67.24% in AY 2023/2024, before a modest rise to 69.79% in AY 2024/2025.

Graduation Rates Calculation Methodology

Main Campus

North Lebanon Campus

Shouf Campus

Licensure passage rates serve as an important indicator of student achievement and readiness for professional practice. Graduates in the following majors—Nutrition and Dietetics, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technology, Law, and Psychology—sit for national licensure examinations.

As indicated in the table below, the results generally demonstrate continued commendable performance across most programs, though some variations are observed. NDU remains committed to ensuring that its graduates are well-prepared for success in their respective professional examinations.

Note

• The Bar Association Exam was not held during AY 2019/2020.
• The National Colloquium for the Professions of Clinical Psychology and Educational Psychology was introduced in AY 2019/2020.
• The Medical Laboratory Technology Colloquium Exam was not conducted in AY 2020/2021, AY 2021/2022, or AY 2022/2023.

The Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA), conducts an annual employability survey for undergraduate and graduate students 6 to 12 months after graduation. The survey evaluates alumni employment within their field of study, with the exception of Law and Nutrition and Dietetics graduates, who are surveyed one year after graduation.

Upon completion of the surveys, OIRA validates the data, and official employability rates per major are determined. The chart below presents the average employability rates across all three campuses and faculties over the past four academic years.

Employability Rates Calculation Methodology

The employability rate is calculated as the percentage of graduates from a specific year who are employed in their field of study, relative to the total number of graduates from the same year who respond to the survey.