What year do freshmen graduate?

Hey everyone! I'm a junior right now, and I'm slightly confused about something. When we talk about college graduation years, like for freshmen currently, what year are we assuming they graduate? Is there a general rule or something that I'm missing? Any clarification would be much appreciated, thanks!

Hi there! It's great that you're thinking ahead about graduation timelines. Typically, when we refer to the graduation year for college freshmen, it's based on a standard four-year undergraduate program. So, if someone starts as a freshman in the fall of 2023, we usually would say their graduation year is 2027.

However, it's important to keep in mind that this can vary depending on different factors such as if a student decides to take a gap year, study part-time, or has transfer credits that might enable them to graduate earlier. Similarly, some may take longer due to double majoring, studying abroad, or personal circumstances. But the four-year rule is what generally applies when we talk about 'class of' references.

Another example for clarity—a freshman entering college in the fall of 2022 would typically be part of the Class of 2026. Just remember that this is a general rule and individual circumstances can affect the actual graduation year. So, in your case as a high school junior, if you enter college in fall of 2024, you'd generally be considered a member of the Class of 2028. Hope that helps clear things up!