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 |
| 2011 | 355 | 251 | 71% |
| 2010 | 335 | 235 | 70% |
| 2009 | 274 | 200 | 73% |
| 2008 | 294 | 217 | 74% |
| 2007 | 316 | 224 | 71% |
| 2006 | 314 | 220 | 70% |
| 2005 | 354 | 259 | 73% |
| 2004 | 308 | 226 | 73% |
| 2003 | 348 | 237 | 68% |
*IPEDS Data Feedback Report
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.
Because of concerns with data accuracy prior to 2008, we are only reporting graduation rates for the past three years:
| Reporting Year | Total Students | # Graduated 150% Time (6 yrs) | % Graduated 150% Time (6 yrs) |
| 2011 | 313 | 154 | 49% |
| 2010 | 353 | 143 | 41% |
| 2009 | 308 | 155 | 50% |
| 2008 | 348 | 161 | 46% |
Note: Adventist colleges and universities tend to have comparatively lower graduation rates for several reasons. First, our mission is to educate as many church members as possible, so we will always err a little in admitting a certain percentage of students who might not be considered fully prepared for the kind of rigorous academic program that we offer. Second, because we serve a national and international denominational constituency, there is a great deal of movement between affiliated institutions, which puts downward pressure on formal graduation rates. Third, the high cost of private higher education soon becomes a sobering reality for a large number of students whose means are limited and who are reluctant to incur large debt loads. In spite of these difficult-to-control variables, PUC continues to invest energy and resources in support of student persistence.
**Ibid
(Students who completed a Bachelor's Degree)
| Reporting Year | Total Number of Completers | Average Years of Completion | Average Quarters for Completion |
| 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 |
| 2011 | 128 | 69 | 54% |
| 2010 | 106 | 65 | 61% |
| 2009 | 128 | 76 | 59% |
| 2008 | 133 | 83 | 62% |
In the spring of 2011, PUC participated for the second time in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Results of the survey were shared with key administrators, relevant committees and the faculty. Overall PUC is characterized by average or above average levels of student engagement. Compared to top institutions PUC demonstrates comparable level of academic challenge and student-faculty interaction, but significantly lower levels of active and collaborative learning, enriching educational experiences and supportive campus environment. PUC also stands out when it comes to the level of student engagement in spiritual activities and strengthening personal religious commitment. However, our students are behind their peers in practical involvement in community service and volunteer work.
Below are some noteworthy findings, both positive and negative. PUC results were compared with three comparison groups: MECIC (Mission Engagement Consortium for Independent Colleges) is a group of 8 colleges, which included the same mission-related additional questions in the survey ; Far West KIT Group is a group of 16 members of Council of Independent Colleges from the Far West region, which participated in NSSE 2011; Aspirational Group is the group of 6 colleges with similar admission criteria and freshman class characteristics but higher retention and graduation rates. The following outlines (provided in the NSSE summary report) show how PUC freshmen and seniors compare with the survey reference groups.
On the positive side, PUC first-year students responded at a rate as high as, or higher, than their counterparts on the following:
| PUC | MECIC | Far West KIT Group | Aspirational Group | |
| Spent more than 10 hours/week preparing for class (studying, etc.) | 80% | 69% | 73% | 65% |
| Talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor | 48% | 36% | 34% | 37% |
| Discussed ideas from classes with faculty outside of class | 35% | 29% | 22% | 28% |
| Had serious conversations w/ students of another race or ethnicity | 63% | 55% | 58% | 59% |
| Said the institution substantially encourages contacts among diverse peer | 67% | 61% | 65% | 64% |
The following were the lowest performing areas for first-year students:
| PUC | MECIC | Far West KIT Group | Aspirational Group | |
| Asked questions/contributed to class discussions | 54% | 75% | 68% | 72% |
| Made a class presentation | 31% | 47% | 36% | 43% |
| Did a community-based project as part of a regular course | 8% | 23% | 14% | 20% |
| Participated in community service or volunteer work | 32% | 55% | 47% | 53% |
| Spent more than 5 hours/week participating in co-curricular activities | 10% | 49% | 37% | 41% |
Senior responses were relatively high in the following areas:
| PUC | MECIC | Far West KIT Group | Aspirational Group | |
| Read more than 10 assigned books or book-length packs of readings | 64% | 45% | 46% | 51% |
| Wrote more than 10 papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages | 51% | 38% | 40% | 40% |
| Spent more than 10 hours/week preparing for class (studying, etc.) | 72% | 62% | 70% | 62% |
| Tutored or taught other students (paid or voluntary) | 37% | 27% | 28% | 31% |
| Had serious conversations w/ students of another race or ethnicity | 70% | 57% | 60% | 64% |
Senior responses were relatively low in the following areas:
| PUC | MECIC | Far West KIT Group | Aspirational Group | |
| Wrote at least one paper or report of 20 pages or more | 44% | 67% | 58% | 66% |
| Participated in community service or volunteer work | 54% | 74% | 70% | 65% |
| Did an independent study or self-designed major | 15% | 28% | 22% | 23% |
| Spent more than 5 hours/week participating in co-curricular activities | 22% | 41% | 34% | 33% |
| Positively rated their relationships with admin. personnel and offices | 52% | 64% | 66% | 69% |
We were particularly interested in NSSE's five indexes of effective educational practice. These so-called "benchmarks" include, Level of Academic Challenge (LAC), Active and Collaborative Learning (ACL), Student-Faculty Interaction (SFI), Enriching Educational Experiences (EEE), and Supportive Campus Environment (SCE). Two tables below contain comparisons with groups different than three groups above. Both in 2011 and 2008 NSSE identified institutions, which have top 10% and top 50% of benchmark scores, calculated average scores for these groups and compared these means with PUC benchmark scores. These comparisons are very informing because we do not know how high on the whole spectrum of all participating institutions are the scores of our chosen three comparison groups (MECIC, Far West KIT Group, and Aspirational Group).
| PUC compared with: | |||||||
| PUC | NSSE 2011 Top 50% | NSSE 2011 Top 10% | |||||
| First Year Students: | |||||||
| Mean a | Mean a | Sig b | Effect size c | Mean a | Sig b | Effect size c | |
| LAC | 57.8 | 56.7 | .08 | 60.6 | -.23 | ||
| ACL | 45.1 | 48.0 | -.18 | 52.1 | ** | -.40 | |
| SFI | 39.8 | 39.3 | .02 | 43.7 | -.18 | ||
| EEE | 27.6 | 30.5 | -.22 | 33.7 | *** | -.44 | |
| SCE | 64.6 | 67.4 | -.15 | 71.2 | ** | -.37 | |
| Seniors: | |||||||
| LAC | 61.6 | 60.5 | .09 | 64.1 | -.19 | ||
| ACL | 54.0 | 56.2 | -.13 | 60.1 | *** | -.35 | |
| SFI | 48.8 | 49.3 | -.03 | 56.0 | ** | -.32 | |
| EEE | 44.6 | 46.7 | -.11 | 55.3 | *** | -.64 | |
| SCE | 62.1 | 64.9 | -.15 | 68.7 | *** | -.36 | |
| PUC compared with: | |||||||
| PUC | NSSE 2008 Top 50% | NSSE 2008 Top 10% | |||||
| First Year Students: | |||||||
| Mean a | Mean a | Sig b | Effect size c | Mean a | Sig b | Effect size c | |
| LAC | 53.7 | 56.4 | * | -.21 | 60.7 | *** | -.55 |
| ACL | 42.8 | 47.5 | *** | -.28 | 51.6 | *** | -.49 |
| SFI | 35.0 | 39.7 | ** | -.24 | 43.6 | *** | -.41 |
| EEE | 26.2 | 30.3 | *** | -.30 | 33.0 | *** | -.47 |
| SCE | 64.1 | 65.8 | -.09 | 68.5 | ** | -.24 | |
| Seniors: | |||||||
| LAC | 58.4 | 59.9 | -.11 | 63.3 | *** | -.37 | |
| ACL | 49.0 | 55.4 | *** | -.37 | 59.7 | *** | -.62 |
| SFI | 44.7 | 49.3 | ** | -.22 | 55.3 | *** | -.49 |
| EEE | 42.3 | 47.4 | *** | -.28 | 54.3 | *** | -.69 |
| SCE | 60.0 | 63.5 | ** | -.18 | 66.7 | *** | -.36 |
aWeighted by gender and enrollment status
bSignificance: * p<.05 ** p<.01 *** p<.001 (2-tailed)
cMean difference divided by the pooled standard deviation
The table with 2011 results demonstrates that PUC scores are not significantly lower than average scores of the top 50% (which actually means they are slightly below top 25%). For Level of Academic Challenge (LAC) they are higher. When compared with top 10% averages PUC scores are all lower. For freshmen they are significantly lower for ACL, EEE and SCE. For seniors – lower for all benchmarks except LAC.
Note that all 2011 scores are higher then 2008 scores, when PUC was significantly lower not only than top 10%, but also than top 50% (with couple of exceptions). This is the evidence of a substantial progress in student engagement in the recent years.
2011 Summary of PUC Scaled Scores
| Possible Range | Mean Score | 95% Confidence Limits* for Mean | Standard Deviation | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile | |
| Total Score | 400 to 500 | 455.64 | 454 to 457 | 20.08 | 443 | 455 | 471 |
| Skills Subscores: | |||||||
| Critical Thinking | 100 to 130 | 115.54 | 115 to 117 | 6.51 | 110 | 116 | 120 |
| Reading | 100 to 130 | 121.22 | 120 to 122 | 6.40 | 116 | 123 | 126 |
| Writing | 100 to 130 | 116.69 | 116 to 118 | 5.21 | 113 | 117 | 120 |
| Mathematics | 100 to 130 | 116.37 | 115 to 117 | 6.40 | 112 | 116 | 120 |
| Context-Based Subscores: | |||||||
| Humanities | 100 to 130 | 118.73 | 118 to 120 | 6.68 | 113 | 119 | 125 |
| Social Sciences | 100 to 130 | 116.67 | 116 to 118 | 6.82 | 112 | 117 | 120 |
| Natural Sciences | 100 to 130 | 118.17 | 117 to 119 | 5.43 | 115 | 120 | 122 |
2011 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 number and 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.
| Skill Dimension | Proficiency Classification | ||
| Proficient | Marginal | Not Proficient | |
| Reading, Level 1 | 77% | 17% | 7% |
| Reading, Level 2 | 55% | 16% | 29% |
| Critical Thinking | 10% | 39% | 51% |
| Writing, Level 1 | 75% | 21% | 5% |
| Writing, Level 2 | 29% | 40% | 31% |
| Writing, Level 3 | 16% | 35% | 49% |
| Mathematics, Level 1 | 72% | 15% | 13% |
| Mathematics, Level 2 | 43% | 27% | 29% |
| Mathematics, Level 3 | 14% | 24% | 62% |
Distribution of Institutional Mean Total Scores (100 institutions)
| Mean Scaled Score | Number of Institutions | % of Institutions Below |
| 470 to 500.00 | 1 | 99 |
| 469 to 469.99 | 0 | 99 |
| 468 to 468.99 | 0 | 99 |
| 467 to 467.99 | 0 | 99 |
| 466 to 466.99 | 0 | 99 |
| 465 to 465.99 | 1 | 98 |
| 464 to 464.99 | 2 | 96 |
| 463 to 463.99 | 0 | 96 |
| 462 to 462.99 | 1 | 95 |
| 461 to 461.99 | 0 | 95 |
| 460 to 460.99 | 1 | 94 |
| 459 to 459.99 | 0 | 94 |
| 458 to 458.99 | 3 | 91 |
| 457 to 457.99 | 4 | 87 |
| 456 to 456.99 | 0 | 87 |
| 455 to 455.99 | 2 | 85 |
| 454 to 454.99 | 2 | 83 |
| 453 to 453.99 | 3 | 80 |
| 452 to 452.99 | 1 | 79 |
| 451 to 451.99 | 4 | 75 |
| 450 to 450.99 | 5 | 70 |
| 449 to 449.99 | 6 | 64 |
| 448 to 448.99 | 5 | 59 |
| 447 to 447.99 | 6 | 53 |
| 446 to 446.99 | 6 | 47 |
| 445 to 445.99 | 5 | 42 |
| 444 to 444.99 | 7 | 35 |
| 443 to 443.99 | 3 | 32 |
| 442 to 442.99 | 4 | 28 |
| 441 to 441.99 | 1 | 27 |
| 440 to 440.99 | 3 | 24 |
| 439 to 439.99 | 3 | 21 |
| 438 to 438.99 | 4 | 17 |
| 437 to 437.99 | 2 | 15 |
| 436 to 436.99 | 2 | 13 |
| 435 to 435.99 | 0 | 13 |
| 434 to 434.99 | 2 | 11 |
| 433 to 433.99 | 2 | 9 |
| 432 to 432.99 | 1 | 8 |
| 431 to 431.99 | 0 | 8 |
| 430 to 430.99 | 2 | 6 |
| 429 to 429.99 | 1 | 5 |
| 428 to 428.99 | 0 | 5 |
| 427 to 427.99 | 1 | 4 |
| 426 to 426.99 | 0 | 4 |
| 425 to 425.99 | 0 | 4 |
| 400 to 424.99 | 4 | 0 |
| Total Number of Institutions | 100 | |
| Mean | 445.94 | |
| Standard Deviation | 9.57 |
This table data is from http://www.ets.org/proficiencyprofile/about
Copyright © 1996-2013 Pacific Union College | All Rights Reserved.