Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» No. 1 in U.S. for Improved Grad Rates
The university tops The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Fast Gainers” list.
Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» is among the fastest gainers in graduation rates according to a new analysis by The Chronicle of Higher Education. shows Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» atop the list of all public research universities in the nation for increased graduation rates with an increase of 17 percentage points over six years.
Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»â€™s six-year graduation rates (the national reporting standard) improved from 44 percent in 2003 to 61 percent in 2008.
Longer-term look shows even more impressive gains
A longer look at Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»â€™s graduation rates reveals an even more impressive 28 percentage point increase: from 38 percent in 2002 to 66 percent in 2010, well exceeding the national average of 55 percent. This occurred while approximately one-third of all four-year universities saw their graduation rates decrease, according to the Chronicle.
Even more impressive is the percentage increase in graduation rates by Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»â€™s ethnically diverse students, up from 33 percent in 2002 to 65 percent in 2010 — exceeding the rate of increase by students as a whole.
“This accomplishment speaks volumes about Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»â€™s outstanding students,” said Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» President Stephen Weber. ”Every aspect of our university is in some way focused on this outcome — making sure our students succeed and earn their degrees.”
Policy changes only part of effort
A watershed moment was a campus-wide decision shortly after President Weber’s arrival in 1996 to make significant changes to its admissions process. Beginning in 1999, the university applied more selective criteria — applicants meeting California State University minimum qualifications were no longer assured a spot in Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»â€™s freshman class.
But policy changes like enrollment management was only a part of the effort. Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» also re-engineered its network of student support, including:
- Making freshmen orientation mandatory
- Introducing a “bounce-back” program for struggling students
- Offering more counseling
- Expanding its Honors Program
- Creating international opportunities
- Increasing financial aid
Campus culture shift
“There isn’t just one program that affected this change, but an entire culture shift university-wide that makes student achievement an imperative,” said Geoff Chase, dean of Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»â€™s who heads the university’s committee to improve graduation rates.
And it’s not just students or the university who benefit from increased graduation rates. All citizens of California have a vested interest in student success. Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»'s 28-percentage-point increase means an additional 1,018 students graduated this year than would have at the previous rate.
“These graduates go on to produce an average $1.5 million additional income during their lifetimes, contributing to the local and state economy,” Weber said.
