Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning

Key Performance Indicators

Retention Rates

The National Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)* defines full-time retention rates as the number of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who enter the institution for the first-time in the fall and who return to the same institution the following fall (as either full- or part-time), divided by the total number of full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates in the fall of first entrance.  For 4-year institutions offering a bachelor's degree, this rate is reported only for those first-time students seeking a bachelor's degree

Reporting Year Total Students # Returned Second Year % Returned Second Year
2023 75 66 88%
2022 94 70 74%
2021 105 64 61%
2020 111 78 70%
2019 106 85 80%
2018 137 112 82%
2017 168 115 68%
2016 171 132 77%
2015 212 161 76%
2014 239 188 79%
2013 188 159 85%
2012 266 207 78%
2011 268 200 75%
2010 235 175 74%
2009 190 142 75%
2008 226 166 73%
2007 244 173 71%
2006 247 176 71%
2005 280 204 73%
2004 251 183 73%
2003 294 196 67%

Note: Current IPEDS definition of retention rates focuses on students seeking a bachelor's degree. Therefore the numbers exclude students pursuing an associate degree (such as Nursing or Health Professions) or a transfer program. For this reason, the number of students reported in each year's cohort numbers is considerably smaller than the entire freshman class for the year.

*IPEDS Data Feedback Report

Graduation Rates

IPEDS Definition**: Graduation rates are those developed to satisfy the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know and Higher Education Opportunity Acts and are defined as the total number of individuals from a given cohort of full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates who completed a degree or certificate within a given percent of normal time (for the degree or certificate), divided by the entire cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates minus any allowable exclusions.

Reporting Year Total Students Total Graduated 150% Time % Graduated 150% Time % Transferred Out
2023 204 105 51%  
2022 251 118 47%  
2021 250 106 41%  
2020 322 158 49%  
2019 332 188 57%  
2018 291 160 55% 29%
2017 364 189 52% 34%
2016 355 179 50% 40%
2015 334 148 44% 36%
2014 272 124 46% 38%
2013 292 130 45% 38%
2012 314 136 43% 41%
2011 313 154 49% 40%
2010 353 143 41% 45%
2009 308 155 50% No data
2008 348 161 46% No data

We need to note here that the current IPEDS definition of graduation rates can be faulted for its inability to describe true student success in cases of high student mobility. Adventist colleges and universities tend to have comparatively lower graduation rates precisely because of high student mobility since they serve a national and international denominational constituency. PUC's transfer-out rate is 30-40%, which is above the median for both national private non-profit institutions and Adventist institutions. At the same time, approximately equal numbers of students transfer in. As a result,the size of a typical PUC graduating class is about 70% of the size of its freshman class.

**Ibid

Time to Completion

(Students who completed a bachelor's degree)

Reporting Year Total Number of Completers Average Years for Completion Average Quarters for Completion
2018 95 4.29 12.87
2017 128 4.46 13.37
2016 128 4.34 13.02
2015 103 4.23 12.68
2014 86 4.30 12.90
2013 103 4.44 13.33
2012 109 4.45 13.36
2011 128 4.45 13.34
2010 106 4.42 13.27
2009 128 4.41 13.22
2008 133 4.43 13.28
Reporting Year Total Number of Completers Number Completed within 4 Years Percent Completed within 4 Years
2018 95 67 71%
2017 128 66 52%
2016 128 82 64%
2015 103 68 66%
2014 86 57 66%
2013 103 58 56%
2012 109 58 53%
2011 128 69 54%
2010 106 65 61%
2009 128 76 59%
2008 133 83 62%

As the Time to Completion tables demonstrate, about two thirds of all graduates graduate after four years of study. The average time to complete a bachelor's degree is about 4.29 years or 13 quarters. The main reason for longer time spent in college is a student's decision to change a program of study. Time spent in obtaining a degree also increases when students come underprepared and have to take remedial courses.

 

Measures of Academic Proficiency and Progress (ETS® Proficiency Profile)

The ETS® Proficiency Profile was developed to measure and demonstrate the outcomes of general education programs in order to help institutions improve the quality of instruction and learning. This test is administered to PUC seniors. Below are the results of the most recent test in comparison to nationwide data for baccalaureate (liberal arts) colleges.*

2018 Summary of PUC Scaled Scores

  Possible Range Mean Score National Mean Standard Deviation 25th Percentile 50th Percentile 75th Percentile
Total Score 400 to 500 452.43 445.6 20.98 436 450 467
Skills Subscores:
Critical Thinking 100 to 130 114.69 111.9 6.45 110 115 119
Reading 100 to 130 120.38 118.30 7.13 116 122 126
Writing 100 to 130 116.15 114.6 5.34 113 116 120
Mathematics 100 to 130 115.73 113.8 6.91 111 114 121
Context-Based Subscores:
Humanities 100 to 130 117.61 114.9 6.71 113 117 123
Social Sciences 100 to 130 115.44 113.40 6.78 110 116 121
Natural Sciences 100 to 130 117.80 115.50 6.08 114 119 123

Distribution of Institutional Mean Total Scores (Baccalaureate (Liberal Arts) Colleges Nationwide*)

The table below shows the distribution of institutional mean total scores for seniors at all participating baccalaureate (liberal arts) colleges to provide the context for PUC's results. With total score of 452.43 PUC is at the 79 percentile, which means that almost four fifths of all participating institutions have total scores lower than PUC.

Mean Scaled Score Number of Institutions % of Institutions Below
470 to 500.00 2 98
469 to 469.99 0 98
468 to 468.99 0 98
467 to 467.99 1 96
466 to 466.99 0 96
465 to 465.99 0 96
464 to 464.99 1 95
463 to 463.99 0 95
462 to 462.99 0 53
461 to 461.99 1 94
460 to 460.99 4 89
459 to 459.99 1 88
458 to 458.99 1 86
457 to 457.99 0 86
456 to 456.99 1 85
455 to 455.99 1 84
454 to 454.99 0 84
453 to 453.99 1 83
452 to 452.99 3 79
451 to 451.99 4 74
450 to 450.99 3 70
449 to 449.99 1 69
448 to 448.99 5 63
447 to 447.99 2 60
446 to 446.99 7 51
445 to 445.99 2 49
444 to 444.99 8 39
443 to 443.99 2 36
442 to 442.99 2 34
441 to 441.99 4 29
440 to 440.99 4 24
439 to 439.99 2 21
438 to 438.99 2 19
437 to 437.99 2 16
436 to 436.99 1 15
435 to 435.99 0 15
434 to 434.99 3 11
433 to 433.99 2 9
432 to 432.99 0 9
431 to 431.99 0 9
430 to 430.99 0 9
429 to 429.99 1 8
428 to 428.99 0 8
427 to 427.99 0 8
426 to 426.99 0 8
425 to 425.99 0 8
400 to 424.99 6 0
     
Total Number of Institutions 80  
Mean 445.6  
Standard Deviation 11.2  

2018 Summary of PUC Proficiency Classifications

The skills measured by the ETS® Proficiency Profile test are grouped into proficiency levels - three proficiency levels for writing, three for mathematics, and three for the combined set of skills involved in reading and critical thinking. The table shows the percentage of students who are proficient, marginal, and not proficient at each proficiency level in reading and critical thinking, writing, and mathematics. A student classified as marginal is one whose test results do not provide enough evidence to classify the student either as proficient or as not proficient. Every category is followed by nationwide averages for baccalaureate (liberal arts) colleges.***

Skill Dimension Proficiency Classification
  Proficient - PUC Proficient - Nation Marginal - PUC Marginal - Nation Not Proficient - PUC Not Proficient - Nation
Reading, Level 1 75% 67% 14% 17% 11% 16%
Reading, Level 2 55% 39% 15% 21% 31% 40%
Critical Thinking 12% 6% 27% 22% 61% 73%
Writing, Level 1 73% 64% 18% 25% 9% 11%
Writing, Level 2 31% 22% 38% 37% 31% 41%
Writing, Level 3 16% 10% 31% 25% 54% 64%
Mathematics, Level 1 62% 57% 25% 23% 13% 20%
Mathematics, Level 2 41% 31% 20% 25% 39% 44%
Mathematics, Level 3 16% 8% 23% 17% 62% 75%

*** Nationwide data and methodology can be found at http://www.ets.org/proficiencyprofile/about