The Office of Institutional Analysis started the weekly (i. e., every Thursday) posting of the "Gettysburg College Fact of the Week" on the Digests on March 24, 2022. These postings highlight important statistics about the College (and sometimes peer comparisons). Some of the data points are from our Fact Book; some are not. For those already in the Fact Book, Fact of the Week provides more contextual info.
The purposes of this new initiative are:
- to promote awareness of various data resources and institutional research;
- to expand knowledge of our institutional characteristics and student experience at the College; and
- to support data-informed conversations and to help enhance student experience.
Displayed below are all the previous postings. Please view them on a desktop or laptop. (Some of the postings contain tables; tables with multiple columns are not scrollable at this point--The column(s) on the right of a table may not be entirely visible on a mobile device.)
For questions, please contact Suhua Dong, Director of Institutional Analysis, at sdong@gettysburg.edu.
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Tomorrow (March 24) is the one year anniversary of the Fact of the Week. Thanks to all for following along and providing feedback and ideas. Thanks to Suhua for her commitment to helping our community understand itself a little better.
Keep those suggestions coming…Contact Suhua at sdong@gettysburg.edu.
Best wishes,
Carey Thompson
Vice President for Enrollment and Educational Services
Today’s Fact of the Week is…
Fact:
Within a year after graduating from Gettysburg, 99% of the 2021 graduating class were employed or attending graduate school/pursuing further education.
Footnote
- For this graduating class, Knowledge Rate was 78%, lower than that of the pre-pandemic classes. Knowledge Rate (a term initiated by NACE) in this context means the percent of the graduating class for whom career status within 12 months after graduation was available (mostly through surveys or LinkedIn profile search) at the time of the study.
- “attending graduate school/pursuing further education”: Sometimes we do have a few graduates pursuing accelerated Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Thus “/pursuing further education” was used as part of the outcome category name.
- More details can be found on the Facts & Figures webpage and the Outcomes Dashboard.
- How about the 2022 graduating class? Complete results will probably be available in late summer or in the fall. We have some preliminary information here about this graduating class on their graduate school attendance and employers. Keep in mind that this was collected near the point of graduation, and some students were waiting for a job offer and some had not started job search.
Data Source
- Center for Career Engagement
To celebrate this special occasion, below is a…
Bonus Fact:
During the 2022-23 academic year, 26% (N=617) of the undergraduate student body are student-athletes (slightly higher than last year’s percentage which was 24%).
Footnote
- A student can participate in more than more sport. The count above represents the unduplicated headcount. The denominator used here is the total number of full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates in Fall 2022 (including students in residence and those studying off-campus): 617/2378=26%.
Data Source
- Athletics Department (The statistic has been updated at the bottom of Page 49 of the Fact Book; the updated pdf file is being re-mediated to meet the accessibility requirement; once re-mediated, it will replace the page currently displayed in the on-line Fact Book).
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As we anticipate the commencement for the 2023 graduating class with excitement, I would like to post further statistics on student achievement with regard to program completions. On July 14, 2022, I posted the % of double majors in the Gettysburg 2022 graduating class and historical trends. Let’s delve further into this topic. How many of these double majors also completed at least one minor?
Fact:
In the Gettysburg 2022 graduating class, 50 students (or 8%) completed two Majors and at least one Minor (including 13 students or 2% who completed two Majors and two Minors).
The table below displays details as well as statistics for a pre-pandemic graduating class:
Number of Students who Completed…
Class of 2019
Class of 2022
N
%
Notes
N
% Notes Two Majors & two Minors
6
1%
including a triple Minor
13
2% Two Majors & one Minor
32
5%
37 6% Two Majors & no Minor
73
12%
73 11% including a triple Major One Major & two Minors
56
9%
including three triple minors
83 13% including three triple Minors One Major & one Minor
254
42%
262 41% One Major & no Minor
190
31%
172 27% Total
611
100%
640 100% Footnote
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Given the potential effects of the pandemic, I also analyzed the 2019 graduating class. Still, two years’ data do not necessarily indicate a trend. Will continue to track this statistic. Curious to see if the pattern will be similar in the 2023 graduating class? Stay tuned.
Data Sources
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Suhua’s analyses of academic program completions data downloaded from the PeopleSoft
- You can find out more about this topic from the July 14 and September 8 Fact of the Week posting.
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Fact:
In the Gettysburg 2019-2022 graduating classes (4 years’ data combined), the top three most popular majors among women were Health Sciences (#1), Psychology (#2), and Biological Sciences (#3; Biology and BMB combined).
(In comparison: The top three most popular majors among men were Economics (#1; BA and BS combined), Political Science (#2), and Organization & Management Studies (OMS)/Business, Organizations, & Management (BOM) (#3).
Footnote
- I am presenting this as descriptive information (not evaluative in any sense).
- Although Biology and BMB are two separate majors, I combined them for this purpose (They share the same 2-digit CIP code). (Page 13 of the Fact Book shows the CIP code of each major.)
- Although ECON and Math ECON are two separate majors, they now share the same CIP code, thus I combined them for this purpose.
- I included 4 years' data here given the potential impact of the pandemic in student choice of major.
Data Sources
- The interactive dashboard: https://www.gettysburg.edu/offices/institutional-analysis/interactive-dashboards/degree-by-major-gender
- On the dashboard, ECON (BA) and Math ECON (BS) majors are displayed as two separate majors (upon request of the Econ dept. when the dashboard was created).
- There is a sorting feature in the table. Move the cursor to the header—2022; click the Sort icon and numbers will be displayed for the 2022 graduating class in descending order. (It may take several clicks to do the trick). You can sort each graduating class to get the top majors by gender. I attached a photo showing the Sort icon.
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During the 2021-22 Academic Year, 640 students graduated from Gettysburg College with a bachelor’s degree. Nationally, among the Class of 2022, what was the share of students earning a baccalaureate degree from liberal arts colleges?
Fact:
During the 2021-22 Academic Year, of all students graduating with baccalaureate degrees from US institutions (Public, Private not-for-profit, Private for-profit), 3.5% were from liberal arts colleges.
Footnote
- As I noted in previous postings, the 2021-22 Academic Year in this context refers to the reporting period used by the IPEDS Completions Survey: the 12-month time period beginning July 1 of 2021 and ending June 30 of 2022. (At Gettysburg, it refers to August and December of 2021 graduates and May 2022 graduates).
- Some students completed two majors and earned one or two bachelor’s degrees from the same institution. They were counted only once in the calculations above (i.e., the calculations were based on unduplicated headcount)
- Liberal arts colleges: This group refers to institutions with the following Carnegie Basic Classification: Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts and Sciences Focus. The Classification is based on the 2021 Update. A total of 217 institutions are currently in this group based on the download from IPEDS (IPEDS does not use the term "liberal arts college"; it uses Carnegie Basic Classification). For Class of 2022, in terms of the number of graduates from liberal arts colleges, the grand total was 69918; the range was 3~1114; the median was 304; the mean was 322. If you are interested in seeing the numbers for specific schools, feel free to contact me (sdong@gettysburg.edu)
Data Sources
- Suhua’s analyses of completions data downloaded from IPEDS (Preliminary data). Total number of US institutions which awarded at least one bachelor's degree during the 2021-22 AY: about 2300.
- Page 13 of the 2022-23 Fact Book
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To celebrate the Black History Month, I would like to post some statistics related to the Black or African American students at the College.
Fact:
In Fall 1986, among domestic students, there were approximately 20 Black or African American students, representing approximately 1.0% of the student body. Since then, overall, the proportion has been growing (albeit not always in a linear fashion). In Fall 2022, among domestic undergraduates (full-time, degree-seeking), there were 110 Black or African American students, representing 4.6% of the undergraduate student body.
Important caveat: Since Fall 2014, in accordance with the IPEDS/federal reporting requirement, the College started to report statistics of a new reporting category: Two or More Races. In Fall 2022, there were 69 domestic undergraduates who reported two or more races, some of whom marked Black or African American and another race(s)--Prior to the implementation of this new federal reporting requirement, most of these students would have been counted as Black or African American. In other words, because of the change in data collection and reporting method, the two proportions above (1.0% and 4.6%) are not entirely comparable.
Footnote
- The statistics above are based on domestic students only (US citizens or US permanent residents). We also have international students from Africa—those are not included.
- Occasionally, we had one (e.g., in Fall 2022) or a few (domestic) Black or African American students who were part-time or special students (non-degree-seeking). They are not included above.
Data Sources
- The 1990-1991 edition of the College Fact Book--the oldest print copy I could find in the Office which displays student race/ethnicity statistics.
- Page 46 of the 2022-23 Fact Book
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Fact:
In Fall 2022, 27% of the full-time faculty were Domestic Persons of Color or International; 8% of the full-time administrators and 11% of the full-time support staff were Domestic Persons of Color.
Footnote
- Headcount was based on the HR data at a specific point in the fall—those on the payroll as of November 1, 2022, in consistency with the IPEDS reporting guidelines.
- No international person among administrators or support staff.
Data Source
- Pages 21—23 of the 2022-23 Fact Book (These statistics were compiled by the Office of Institutional Analysis based on unit-record datasets provided by the Provost’s Office and the Human Resources.)
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On Sep. 1, 2022, I posted about Gettysburg graduates who earned a research doctorate (1966-2020). National Science Foundation (NSF) recently released its Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) 2021 data. Below is my latest update on our rank.
Fact:
From 1966 to 2021, 1,272 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate from a U.S. institution; Gettysburg ranks 51st among about 230 liberal arts colleges.
Footnote
- Only recipients of research doctorates are included (the most common research doctorate degree is the PhD); recipients of professional degrees (e.g., MD, DMin, PsyD) are not included.
- Gettysburg also ranks 51st among approximately 500 Baccalaureate Colleges (This group includes those 230+ liberal arts colleges).
- 23 Gettysburg graduates received a research doctorate in the 12-month period beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021, including 6 in biological & biomedical sciences. Note that we do not know from which graduating class(es) these alumni were from.
- Check out the Fact Book for the distribution by academic discipline.
- If you are interested in seeing the rankings of all liberal arts colleges, feel free to email me.
- NSF SED is an annual census of all individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given academic year. Thus, if an individual earned a research doctorate from a foreign university, that individual was not counted. I contacted Joe Lynch '85, Executive Director of Alumni Relations, if he was aware of any of our graduates who earned a research doctorate from a foreign institution; he replied, “There definitely are some. The first one who comes to mind is Ian Isherwood ’00, who earned his Ph.D. in Scotland (University of Glasgow).”
- SED response rate was not 100%; for example, nationally, of the 52,250 individuals granted a research doctorate in 2021, 91.5% completed the survey.
Data Sources
- Facts & Figures
- Pages 54—56 of the 2022-23 Fact Book (These 3 updated pages with the 2021 data are being remediated; please check back in 1-2 weeks.)
Thanks to those who read the weekly postings. Joe Lynch explored further data in response to last week’s (Feb. 2) posting. Thanks Joe!
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Fact:
In Fall 2022, among our domestic undergraduate students, 27% were from PA; 73%, from out of state.
The table below displays the top 5 sending states:
Fall 2014
Fall 2022
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New Jersey
New York
New York
Connecticut
Maryland
Maryland
Connecticut
Footnote
-
International students are excluded from the calculations above.
- Domestic undergraduate students come from 40 states (including the District of Columbia).
Data Source
-
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Fact:
The average semester GPA of the first-year class for Fall 2022 was 3.24 (based on 640 students).
The table below displays details for this cohort:
Average Semester GPA: Cohort Overall
N of students
%
4.00 or higher
69
11%
3.67 or higher (but lower than 4.00)
157
25%
3.33 or higher (but lower than 3.67)
121
19%
3.00 or higher (but lower than 3.33)
122
19%
2.67 or higher (but lower than 3.00)
67
10%
2.33 or higher (but lower than 2.67)
49
8%
2.00 or higher (but lower than 2.33)
21
3%
1.67 or higher (but lower than 2.00)
17
3%
Lower than 1.67
17
2.7%
Total:
640
100%
Footnote
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The first-year class refers to the Fall 2022 entering cohort (transfers excluded). Initial cohort size: N=644. Four cohort members were excluded from the calculations here--They left the College or took a leave of absence shortly after the fall census date or later in the fall semester for personal/medical reasons, thus receiving no grade.
- About 20 students in this cohort are no longer enrolled at the College as of today (Jan. 26); their average first semester GPA was 2.24.
- The intervals used in the table above were based on the grading system published here.
Data Sources
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Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft yesterday afternoon (Jan. 25)
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Fact:
- 16% of the first-year class (i.e., Fall 2022 entering cohort members who are still enrolled) have declared a major (as recorded in PeopleSoft);
- 76% of the sophomore class (i.e., Fall 2021 entering cohort members who are still enrolled) have declared a major (as recorded in PeopleSoft).
Footnote
- % were based on data as of yesterday afternoon.
- According to here, students have until the end of their sophomore year to declare a major.
- Based on my data analysis of the Fall 2021 entering cohort, among those who left the College, there were a disproportionately large number of students who were undeclared--Approximately 35% had declared a major at the time of their departure. Note: I am not suggesting cause-effect here. Based on student self-reports on a survey (part of my previous retention research in Fall 2019 and Spring 2022), "Pursue an academic major/program not offered at Gettysburg" was one of the common reasons for voluntary withdrawal, but it was not among the Top 5 reasons (based on student self-reports). But the gap (76% vs. 35%) is striking nonetheless.
- It is possible that some students have made up their mind about choosing a Major but have not officially declared in PeopleSoft.
Source
- Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft yesterday afternoon.
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Fact:
In Fall 2022, the average undergraduate class size is 18 (same as in Fall 2021).
Footnote
- Student-Faculty ratio and percentages of class sections (e.g., % of classes with fewer than 20 students) will be available at a later date.
Data Sources
- Suhua’s analysis of faculty workload data provided by our Registrar Brian Reese (Thank you to Brian for providing the data file)
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Fact:
In Fall 2022, 21% (N=495) of our undergraduate student body (full-time, degree-seeking students) are Pell grant recipients. Over the years, the % has been steadily increasing, demonstrating the College’s commitment to access and affordability.
Nuances
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How did I get the 21% above? 495 divided by 2,373.
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You might have noticed according to our 2022-23 Fact Book, our Fall 2022 total census enrollment of full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates (both on-campus and off-campus-study students included) is actually 2,378, including 5 students in the 3-2 (dual-degree) program. According to Kathryn Adams, Director of Financial Aid?, students in the 3-2 (dual-degree) program “do not count as we do not award financial aid to them; rather the school that they have continued on to is responsible for their aid”. Therefore I excluded those 5 students from the denominator (student body 2,378 minus 5=2,373).
- Additionally, according to Kathryn, federal law does not permit international students to apply for the Pell grant. Thus, if we also exclude international students from the denominator, the % would be 23%: 495 divided by 2,188 (2,378 minus 5 dual-degree students, then minus 185 international students=2,188). In other words, among our domestic undergraduates (full-time, degree-seeking), 23% are Pell recipients.
- In Fall 2022, we actually have 186 full-time, degree-seeking international undergraduates, but one of them is in the dual-degree program, thus I used 185 in the formula above.
- The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $6,895 for the 2022–23 award year. Some of our students were awarded less than that.
- I did not provide % of Pell recipients in the student body at our peer institutions here, as the IPEDS data are quite messy and problematic to compare. I will provide peer comparisons by entering cohort at a later date.
Data Sources
- Page 30 of the 2022-23 Fact Book (Because of the changes in the web layout, you will need to scroll to Page 30, where you will see % of Pell by entering cohort in the top and % of Pell in the student body at the bottom of that page).
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Last time, I posted Gettysburg College 6-yr graduation rate difference by sex (and race/ethnicity). Below is my additional research on peers. Was there a similar gap on their campus as well in recent years?
Fact:
Based on the latest information, the gap between men and women on the 6-year graduation rate at Gettysburg was similar to the peer group average for the Fall 2014 entering cohort, but slightly larger than the peer group average for the Fall 2015 entering cohort.
(As I indicated in previous posts, the gap between men and women on graduation rates has been a common challenge nationally.)
The table below displays details:
Fall 2014 Entering Cohort Fall 2015 Entering Cohort Men Women Diff. Men Women Diff. Connecticut College 76% 86% -10% 78% 83% -5% Denison Univ. 75% 85% -10% 79% 83% -4% Dickinson College 85% 84% 1% 79% 85% -6% Franklin & Marshall College 81% 89% -9% 80% 85% -5% Lawrence Univ. 75% 82% -7% 74% 85% -12% Union College 87% 85% 2% 84% 85% -1% Peer Group Average (6 schools above) 80% 85% -5% 79% 84% -6% Gettysburg 81% 87% -6% 77% 87% -10% Average of All Liberal Arts Colleges 63% 71% -7% 64% 71% -7% Footnote
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For almost all of these schools, the magnitude of the gap varied from cohort to cohort (including the Fall 2013 entering cohort).
- Average of All Liberal Arts Colleges: About 200 colleges were included (excluding for-profit ones).
- Calculation of difference was based on the exact values, not rounded values (e.g., Lawrence Univ., Fall 2015 entering cohort: the gap of -12% was based on: 73.81% minus 85.40% =-11.59% rounded to 12%. )
Data Sources
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Suhua’s report on 6-yr graduation rate comparisons by gender and race/ethnicity (Published on the IA Office website, under Retention Research. Login required)
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Gettysburg College 2022-23 Fact Book
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On April 7, I posted graduation rate difference by sex. Below is the latest info.
Fact:
Based on the latest information (Fall 2016 entering cohort), Gettysburg male students’ 6-yr graduation rate continued to be considerably lower than that of female students (77% vs. 86%). (Had male students graduated at the same rate as female students, we would have had about 30 more male graduates in this cohort.)
You might ask, “Did our male students have a lower 6-yr graduation rate among each ethnic/racial group”? Yes, at least based on two cohorts: Fall 2015 and Fall 2016 entering cohorts. One exception: In the Fall 2015 entering cohort, male Hispanic/Latino students’ 6-yr graduation rate was notably lower than that of female Hispanic/Latino students; however, in the Fall 2016 entering cohort, their rates were similar.
How about nationally? As I posted in April, for years, nationally, male students’ 6-yr graduation rate has been considerably lower than that of female students; the pattern was true within each racial/ethnic group. So it has been a common challenge.
Footnote
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6-yr graduation rate here means % of the starting cohort who received bachelor's degrees from their initial institutions of attendance within 6 years after entry. This is the federal definition. (Some students transferred out and graduated; they are not counted in accordance with the federal definition).
- Feel free to contact me (sdong@gettysburg.edu) if you are interested in more details. I have a summary table which will posted to the IA Office website (under Retention Research) at a later date.
Data Sources
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2022-23 Fact Book
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Gettysburg Fall 2015 cohort graduation rates submitted to IPEDS
- Suhua’s analysis of Fall 2016 cohort status data
- NCES Digest of Educational Statistics
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Some of you might recall that during the summer, I posted a few findings from the 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey. Below is another Fact.
Fact:
A majority of the 2022 graduating class reported that their experience at Gettysburg College contributed to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in Career & Self-Development, Leadership, and Professionalism.
The table below displays details:
Survey Question. To what extent has your experience at Gettysburg College contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas? (Rating scale: Not at all—Very little—Some—Quite a bit—Very much)
Not at all
Very little
Some
Quite a bit
Very much
Combined % of "Some", “Quite a bit" and "Very much"
Career & Self-Development
4%
11% 34% 32% 19% 85% Leadership
3%
5% 26% 38% 29% 92% Professionalism
3%
4% 24% 37% 32% 94% Footnote
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To enhance data validity, on the HEDS survey, there is a definition for each of the three items:
- Career & Self-Development: Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization
- Leadership: Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals
- Professionalism: Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace
- These three outcome variables were new to the 2022 survey instrument (thus no historical comparison).
- These results were based on student self-reports/indirect assessment, which is not criterion-referenced assessment. For the past several decades, using student self-reports on surveys have become a common method to assess college impact, despite their limitations. It would be nice if we could ask a student to perform tasks and then rate his/her performance based on a standardized rubric at college entry and then upon graduation, e.g., to assess his/her growth in Professionalism; but this is rarely feasible in the real world of assessment.
- All of the expected May 2022 graduating seniors were invited to take the survey, which was open from April 12, 2022 to May 13, 2022. Most of these seniors entered the College in Fall 2018 and were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during 3 semesters (Spring 2020, Fall 2020, & Spring 2021).
- I have not received peer data from HEDS yet. A full report of results (including peer comparisons) will be available after I analyze the peer data (if available this year).
Data Source
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Gettysburg College 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey (Response rate: 45% or 268/591, notably lower than our pre-pandemic typical response rate which was around 95%).
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On April 14, I posted a Fact: the increase of Pell students in our first-year cohorts. Below is a related Fact.
Fact:
The first-year retention rate of Pell students in Gettysburg's Fall 2021 entering cohort is about 2 percentage points lower than that of non-Pell students.
The 6-yr graduation rate of Pell students in Gettysburg's Fall 2016 entering cohort is about 2 percentage points higher than that of non-Pell students, a notable improvement compared with the previous cohort.
How did Gettysburg compare nationally? There is no national comparative data on the first-year retention rate of Pell students. The table below shows comparisons on 6-yr graduation rate: Gettysburg % was similar to the mean or median of 11 peers:
6-yr graduation rate of Pell students
Fall 2015 entering cohort
Fall 2016 entering cohort
Gettysburg
80%
83%
National average of liberal arts colleges
63%
N/A
Average of 11 peers
82%
N/A
Median of 11 peers
81%
N/A
Footnote
- Given the percentage of Pell students in Gettysburg’s Fall 2016 and Fall 2021 entering cohorts (15% and 21%, respectively), a difference or 2 percentage points translates into a difference of about 3 students more or less than expected. So it’s not a big number.
- About 205 liberal arts colleges were included in calculating the national average.
- 11 peers: Bard, Centre, Connecticut, Denison, DePauw, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Furman, Lawrence, Rhodes, Union (NY). The highest rate of this group was 88%; the lowest, 78%.
Data Sources
- Gettysburg Fact Book page
- Suhua’s analysis of latest data downloaded from IPEDS
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On Oct. 13, the posting was about the racial/ethnicity diversity of the undergraduate student body in Fall 2022. We have 188 (186 degree-seeking; 2 non-degree-seeking) international students this fall, a record high (because of a record high number of international students in the Fall 2022 first-year class). Below is a related Fact.
Fact:
In Fall 2022, the total number of foreign countries (including territories) represented by these 188 international students is 50, a record high.
Footnote
- Palestinian Territories included among 50.
- Based on the Fact Book database going back to Fall 1984 and the oldest Fact Book paper copy in the Institutional Analysis Office: Fall 2022 is the 1st time we have international students from Azerbaijan and Uruguay.
- The 2nd highest number of foreign countries represented by international students was in Fall 2018 and again in Fall 2021 (39).
Data Sources
- Facts & Figures
- Old Editions of the Fact Book
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Fact:
88% of the Gettysburg student-athletes in the Fall 2016 entering cohorts graduated from Gettysburg within 6 years, notably higher than that of the overall cohort.
The table below displays multi-year results and how Gettysburg compares with the NCAA Division III Overall:
Entering cohort Gettysburg NCAA Division III Overall Student-athletes Cohort Overall Student-athletes Cohort Overall 2016 Cohort 88% 82% N/A N/A 2015 Cohort 85% 82% N/A N/A 2014 Cohort 87% 85% 70% 68% 2013 Cohort 86% 81% 68% 66% Footnote
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As I explained in a previous posting: 6-yr graduation rate refers to the % of students in the starting cohort who received bachelor's degrees from their initial institutions of attendance within 6 years after entry—This is the federal/standard definition which we (and all other institutions participating in Title IV federal student financial aid programs) use.
- Starting from the 2013 Cohort, NCAA has been requiring all institutions to report their student-athletes’ 6-yr graduation rate. Prior to that, it was voluntary. Institutions submitted the data for the 2015 Cohort in May 2022, but (to the best of my knowledge) NCAA has not publicly released the comparative figures for this cohort yet; I will update this table once they are available. NCAA will collect graduation rates data of the 2016 Cohort during summer 2023.
Data Sources
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Gettysburg College 2022-23 Fact Book
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NCAA research reports published on its website: 2013 Cohort; 2014 Cohort (Their reports are not easy to read. Be careful about the technical terms.)
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Fact:
In Fall 2022, 30% of Gettysburg’s undergraduate student body (full-time, degree-seeking) are Domestic Students of Color (22%) or International (8%); this combined % is the highest in the College’s history.
The % of International students is also the highest in the College’s history.
The table below displays details and historical comparisons:
Full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates in the Fall of
2012
2021
2022
% of Domestic Students of Color
10%
(N=280)
21%
(N=539)
22%
(N=526)
% of International Students
2%
(N=48)
5%
(N=123)
8%
(N=186)
Combined % of Domestic Students of Color & International
12%
(N=328)
26%
(N=662)
30%
(N=712)
Footnote
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Denominator used here is the Total of full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates (N= 2,378, including students in global study). Part-time or non-degree-seeking students not included in the table above. In Fall 2022, we have 2 non-degree-seeking undergraduates who are International; they are not included among the 186 above; we also have one non-degree-seeking student who is a Domestic Student of Color; this person is not included among the 526 above.
- Most of our International Students are Students of Color. If you are looking for the Total of Students of Color (both Domestic and International), please do not use 526; feel free to contact me (sdong@gettysburg.edu) for the number.
- Caveat: In recent decade, every fall, we had/have a small % of Domestic students whose race/ethnicity was/is unknown. It was/is possible (albeit unlikely) that one or a few of them might be a Domestic Student(s) of Color. Years ago, I surveyed this type of students; some responded; all of the respondents self-reported as White. In Fall 2022, we have 65 students with unknown race/ethnicity.
- Nationally, there are no readily available, comparable, fall total enrollment data to analyze in order to compare with our peers. Previously, I used IPEDS 12-month enrollment (not Fall) to compare. My previous analysis showed a similar pattern as indicated on last week’s Fact of the Week: Gettysburg’s student body was less diverse compared with our peers; but over the years it grew more and more diverse.
Data Source
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Gettysburg College Fact Book (internal link; the entire 2022-23 Fact Book will be published at the end of Oct. or in early Nov.)
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Fact:
36% of Gettysburg’s Fall 2022 first-year class are Domestic Students of Color (23%; 150/644) or International (13%; 85/644); this combined % is the highest in the College history.
The % of International students is also the highest in the College history.
The table below displays how Gettysburg first-year class compared nationally and with select peers on racial/ethnic diversity 10 years ago and based on latest data available (2021):
First-year class entering in the fall of … 2012
2021
2022
% of Domestic Students of Color:
Gettysburg
11%
24%
23%
Average of Select Peers (13 schools)
18%
23%
N/A
National Average of All Liberal Arts Colleges
29%
34%
N/A
% of International Students:
Gettysburg
2%
5%
13%
Average of Select Peers (13 schools)
7%
9% N/A National Average of All Liberal Arts Colleges
5%
6%
N/A
Combined % of Domestic Students of Color & International:
Gettysburg
13%
30%
36%
Average of Select Peers (13 schools)
25%
32% N/A National Average of All Liberal Arts Colleges
34%
40%
N/A
Footnote
-
First-year class only include full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates who started college in the same fall semester. Transfers excluded.
-
Total number of liberal arts colleges included for the national average: about 200.
- 13 peer schools: Bard College, Centre College, Connecticut College, Denison University, DePauw University, Dickinson College, Franklin and Marshall College, Furman University, Lawrence University, Rhodes College, Skidmore College, The University of the South, Union College (NY).
- Feel free to contact Suhua (sdong@gettysburg.edu) if you need to see data of individual peer colleges.
Data Sources
-
Gettysburg College 2022-23 Fact Book
- Suhua’s analysis of national (and peer) data downloaded from IPEDS (Fall 2021 IPEDS data are Preliminary)
-
-
Fact:
The first-year retention rate of Domestic Students of Color in the Fall 2021 entering cohort is 88%, same as that of Domestic White Students.
Footnote
- First-year retention rate: proportion of the Fall 2021entering cohort who are enrolled as of fall census date.
- Earlier years’ results are in the Fact Book. This year’s results will be included in the 2022-23 Fact Book which will be published in Oct.
- Peer or national data are not available.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft at the end of the fall census date
-
Fact:
In recent years, 81%~85% of an entering cohort graduated from Gettysburg within six years after entry.
How does this compare nationally? “In 2020, the overall 6-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time undergraduate students who began seeking a bachelor’s degree at 4-year degree-granting institutions in fall 2014 was 64 percent. That is, by 2020, some 64 percent of students had completed a bachelor’s degree at the same institution where they started in 2014……” (see Source below)
Footnote
- The great majority of students who left Gettysburg without a degree transferred to another institution. They left for personal and other reasons. When you hear people use the word “drop-out”, be very careful—Leaving Gettysburg without a degree does not necessarily mean a student dropped out of college.
Data Sources
- Gettysburg’s 6-year graduation rate is included in our Fact Book
- National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Rates. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Fast Facts: Undergraduate graduation rates (40) (ed.gov)
-
Fact:
Among the double majors in Gettysburg College 2020-2022 graduating classes (combined), 63% were women, 37% were men. Gettysburg women were more likely to be double majors than Gettysburg men.
The table below displays more details:
Of the double majors (in these 3 graduating classes), what % were……?
Of the grand total (of these 3 graduating classes), what % were……?
Female
63%
55%
Male
37%
45%
International
5%
5%
Domestic Students of Color
18%
17%
Domestic White
74%
75%
Race/Ethnicity Unknown (Domestic)
2%
2%
Footnote
-
The 2022 graduating class included August and December 2021 graduates and May 2022 graduates. The same logic applies to other graduating classes.
- This is intended as descriptive information, not evaluative.
Data Source
-
Suhua’s analyses of unit-record data downloaded from PeopleSoft.
-
-
Fact:
From 1966 to 2020, at least 1,249 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate; Gettysburg ranked 52nd among about 500 baccalaureate colleges.
Footnote
- “at least” was used above as the National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates is an annual census of all new recipients of research doctorates at U.S. academic institutions. It was possible that a few of our graduates may have obtained a research doctorate from a foreign university.
- Please read the Note on the Fact Book page to learn what degrees were included as Research Doctorate.
- 2021 statistics will be available this coming winter.
- Many of our graduates earned medical doctorates or law degrees. So far our Office (and other IR offices) has not found a good enough data source to compile statistics on these professional degrees. If you know of an excellent data source, please let me know.
Data Source
-
Fact:
20% of the Class of 2022 (130 out of 640) studied abroad during their time at Gettysburg; this percentage is much lower than that of the previous classes because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The table below displays the study-abroad rates by graduating class, both the overall rate and the rate of domestic students of color:
Graduating Class
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
Domestic Students of Color
15%
49%
57%
44%
67%
Graduating Class Overall
20%
53%
57%
52%
55%
Footnote
-
Class of 2022 includes August and December 2021 graduates and May 2022 graduates.
-
At Gettysburg, most of those who studied abroad did so during their junior year. Most of the graduates in the Class of 2022 entered the College in Fall 2018; their junior year was the 2020-21 academic year; you all know what it was like back then—We were fully in the pandemic. It’s important to keep this context in mind. As Steph Rye at the Center for Global Education commented, “It is important to note that although our numbers for this graduating class are much smaller than normal, percentage wise, we are proud to be one of the few schools with such a strong commitment to global study that we continued to safely send students abroad throughout the pandemic.”
- Study-abroad is considered one of the high-impact practices (HIPs). When you cite study-abroad rate in HIPs-related messaging, please select a typical number and do not use this outlier: 20%. This statistic will be included in the upcoming 2022-23 edition of the Fact Book (with an *), as part of our collective memory of this unprecedented pandemic.
Data Sources
-
The list of global-study students for the Class of 2022 was provided by the Center for Global Education; Suhua calculated the study-abroad rate of domestic students of color.
-
Page 13 of the Fact Book (previous graduating classes)
-
-
Fact:
During the 2021-22 academic year, 602 or 23.9% of the student body were student-athletes (364 men; 238 women).
Footnote
- Cheer leaders were not included in the count above.
- % for the 2022-23 academic year will be available in winter.
- Student-athletes graduated at a higher rate than other students (details will be posted in the fall).
Data Source
- Athletic Communications/Page 46 of the Fact Book
-
Fact:
Most students in the Class of 2022 completed a minor; the most popular minors were the following:
Class of
2021
%
2022
%
4-yr average
Business
87
19.5%
94
19.0%
21.5%
Peace & Justice Studies
76
17.0%
65
13.2%
12.7%
Educational Studies
19
4.3%
24
4.9%
5.4%
Spanish
21
4.7%
19
3.8%
5.35%
Engish+Writing
24
5.4%
24
4.9%
5.34%
Mathematics
11
2.5%
22
4.5%
3.9%
Also noteworthy: 21 students in the Class of 2022 completed a minor in Data Science, a big increase compared with the Class of 2021 (N=7).
Footnote
-
Table (above) sorted in descending order of % based on the 4-yr average. I only listed those with 4% or higher based on the 4-yr average. [Note added on 08/22/2022: On 08/22/2022, the Registrar's Office changed the number of Educational Studies minors from 23 to 24; and the number of Math Minors from 21 to 22. The table above reflects these changes.]
-
English and Writing are actually two distinct minors; for this posting, I combined them based on the fact that both are offered by the English Dept.
-
%=Total number of students who completed a certain minor (including those who completed it as a 2nd minor), divided by the total of minors completed by this graduating class (including minors completed as a 2nd minor). 94 students in the Class of 2022 completed a Business minor (some of whom completed it as a 2nd minor); the entire graduating class completed a total of 494 minors; thus 94/494=19.0%.
- This is purely descriptive information, not evaluative in any way.
Data Sources
-
Class of 2022: Registrar’s Office
-
Classes of 2019-2021: Page 10 of the Fact Book
-
You can find out more about the 21-year trends of each minor by using this Interactive Dashboard
-
-
Fact:
As of today, we have 89 international students in the incoming Class of 2026, a record number in the College history and representing a significant increase compared with previous years.
The table below displays the 5-yr trend:
First-year class entering in the fall of
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Number of international students in the first-year class
29
30
29
32
89 (preliminary number; it may change due to individual circumstances.)
Footnote
-
Numbers for 2018-2021: These were the official/final numbers as of the fall census dates. The official/final number (of international students) in the incoming first-year class will be available on the fall census date (September 9, 2022).
Data Sources
-
Incoming first-year class: Admissions Office
-
Historical numbers: Page 22 of the current Fact Book
-
-
Fact:
At the beginning of their 1st semester at the College, 24% of the fall 2021 first-year students reported that they considered themselves Pre-Med, a noteworthy increase compared with the pre-COVID cohort--fall 2019 freshmen.
Survey Questions: "Do you consider yourself Pre-Med?" (Yes; No); "Do you consider yourself Pre-Law?" (Yes; No)
The table below displays 2015-2021 % of Gettysburg freshmen responding “Yes”, as well as % reported by freshmen in the Peer Group:
Freshmen in the fall of
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2021
Gettysburg:
Pre-Med
15%
17%
14%
17%
17%
24%
Pre-Law
11%
10%
10%
11%
13%
12%
Peer Group:
Pre-Med
18%
16%
16%
22%
17%
18%
Pre-Law
9%
8%
10%
9%
11%
12%
Footnote
-
Peer Group: Private/Nonsectarian 4yr Colleges - very high or high selectivity, e.g., Bates & Dickinson.
-
We did not receive our 2021 Peer Group data until mid-June 2022. There was a major delay in national data processing at UCLA HERI.
-
For the Fall 2021 Gettysburg percentage, the margin of error for the Pre-Med question was plus or minus 4; for the Pre-Law question, plus or minus 3.
-
At this point, it is impossible to know if the Gettysburg 2021 Pre-Med % was a blip.
-
We did not conduct the survey in fall 2020 due to the pandemic.
Data Source
-
Fall 2021 CIRP Freshman Survey: A Report of Select Results. Log-in required to access the full report. From August 31 to mid-September 2021, the Office of Institutional Analysis invited all of our new first-year students to take the survey. Approximately 35% of our students took it. This was the 1st time we conducted the survey on line (In prior years, we used the paper surveys and the response rate had been over 90%). For highlights of key results, visit: Fall 2021 CIRP Freshman Survey: Highlights
-
The survey instrument is here: Instruments and codebooks
-
-
Fact:
19.2% of the 2022 graduating class were double majors (including one student who was a triple major), the 2nd highest in the college history (recorded since Class of 1985, the earliest graduating class tracked by the Fact Book).
The table below displays historical trends for Gettysburg, 5 comparison schools, as well as group averages.
Graduating class
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Gettysburg
15%
15%
18%
19%
23%
Select comparison schools:
Connecticut
28%
26%
29%
29%
30%
Denison
23%
22%
22%
21%
24%
Dickinson
19%
25%
26%
28%
29%
Franklin & Marshall
12%
12%
13%
13%
18%
Union
11%
11%
11%
13%
10%
Average of Top 50 liberal arts colleges
19%
19%
20%
21%
21%
Gettysburg rank within Top 50 liberal arts colleges
34th
35th
32nd
30th
23rd
Average of all liberal arts colleges
13%
13%
13%
14%
14%
Want to know more? I have a table which includes all liberal arts colleges. Feel free to email me (sdong@gettysburg.edu) if you are interested in more details.
Caveat
-
All private (not-for-profit) & public liberal arts colleges were included (N=228). The Top 50 liberal arts colleges group actually includes 53 schools (as 4 schools tied for #50), based on the US News Best Colleges ranking released in September 2021.
Footnote
-
Among the Top 50 liberal arts colleges: % completing a 2nd major ranged from 0% (Soka Univ. of America & Thomas Aquinas College) to 49% (Williams College).
-
Class of 2022 included August and December 2021 graduates and May 2022 graduates. The same logic applies to other graduating classes.
-
Institutions vary in policies and requirements regarding declaring or completing a second major.
-
This is intended as descriptive information, not evaluative. Institutions vary in mission, values and curricular designs.
Data Sources
-
Gettysburg Class of 2022: Suhua’s analysis of data retrieved from PeopleSoft. [Note added on July 20: On July 19, 2022, the Registrar's Office added two back-dated May 2022 graduates; thus the % of double majors changed from 19.3% (in the initial posting) to 19.2%.]
-
Gettysburg Classes of 2017-2021: Page 8 of the Fact Book
-
Data on other liberal arts colleges: Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from IPEDS (Institutions receiving federal financial aid are required to report completions data to IPEDS every year). Class of 2022 data are not reported to IPEDS yet.
Thanks to Brian Reese (our Registrar) who reported our degree completions data to IPEDS.
-
-
Fact:
As of this morning:
Among the members of the Fall 2021 entering cohort who are still enrolled (rising sophomores), 57% have declared a Major in Peoplesoft.
How about those 50+ students who were part of this cohort but are no longer enrolled (due to voluntary withdrawal, suspension/dismissal, or LOA)?
- A much lower percentage had declared a Major (in PeopleSoft) at the time of their departure.
Footnote
-
It is possible that some students may have made up their mind about choosing a Major but did not officially declare in PeopleSoft.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft on the morning of July 7, 2022
-
Fact:
Among the Class of 2022, the most popular majors (Top 9) were the following:
Graduating class
2022 (N)
2022 (%)
POL
76
9.9%
ECON (including Math ECON)
74
9.7%
OMS/BOM
69
9.0%
Health Sciences
66
8.6%
Biological Sciences (BIO & BMB combined)
57
7.5%
PSYCH
51
6.7%
HIST
42
5.5%
ENG
34
4.5%
ES
29
3.8%
Want to know more? Feel free to download these two PowerPoint slides I put together to show the historical trends (2019-2022).
Footnote
- Class of 2022 included August and December 2021 graduates and May 2022 graduates.
- Note added on July 20: On July 19, The Registrar’s Office processed two backdated May 2022 graduates (One was a BMB major; the other, a CS major). These two graduates were added to the chart and the table on July 20. Thus Biological Sciences changed from 56 (in the initial posting) to 57. Total number of majors completed by the Class of 2022 changed from 762 (used in the initial posting) to 764; unduplicated headcount of this graduating class changed from 638 (used in the initial posting) to 640. As a result of this change in the denominator (i.e., from 762 to 764), the % for a few majors had a trivial change compared with % displayed in the initial posting. The relative position of the Top majors remain the same.
- %=Total number of students who completed a certain major (including those who completed it as a 2nd major), divided by all majors completed by this graduating class (including double majors). e.g., 76 students completed a POL major, including 10 students who completed as a 2nd major; the entire graduating class included a total of 640 students (unduplicated headcount) who completed a total of 764 majors (including double majors); thus 76/764=9.9%.
- This is purely descriptive information, not evaluative in any way.
Data Sources
- Class of 2022: Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft
- Classes of 2019-2021: Page 8 of the Fact Book
-
Fact:
When asked, “Overall, how satisfied have you been with your undergraduate education at this institution?”, 83% of the international students and domestic students of color (as a combined group) in the 2022 graduating class reported “satisfied” or “very satisfied”. No statistically significant difference was found between this group and the domestic white students.
Combined % reporting "satisfied" or "very satisfied"
International & Domestic Students of Color (n=47)
83%
Domestic White (n=195)
83%
Overall
83%
Footnote
- Response option for the question: Very dissatisfied—Dissatisfied—Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied—Satisfied—Very satisfied.
Data Source
- 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey (survey launched on April 12; closed on May 13; response rate was around 45%. A full report of major findings will be available in the fall).
-
Fact:
Despite the disruptions of the pandemic, the College continued to provide impactful on-campus employment opportunities for many students. 75% of the 2022 graduating seniors reported that they had worked on campus (by the time of graduating from Gettysburg). These seniors were then asked to indicate the impact of this experience; 72% of them reported that on-campus employment had substantially contributed to their learning and personal development. Both of these percentages are similar to those of the 2019 and 2021 graduating classes. Based on the % of seniors reporting substantial impact, on-campus employment has consistently been among the top 5 high-impact experiences (along with study-abroad, etc.).
Footnote
- Survey Question on the impact of various (a total of 17) high-impact, co-curricular, or educationally enriching experiences: To what extent has your participation contributed to your learning and personal development? Rating Scale: Very little—Some—Quite a bit—Very much. The percentage displayed above—72%—is the combined % of those reporting “Quite a bit" and “Very much” (interpreted as substantially) (11% reported "Very little"; 17% reported "Some".)
Data Source
- 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey (survey launched on April 12; closed on May 13; response rate was around 45%. A full report of major findings will be available in the fall).
Dear colleagues: If you were/are a supervisor of a student worker on campus, pat yourself on the back!
Dear students: If you have worked or are working on campus, is this survey finding resonant with you?
-
Fact:
2022 graduating seniors were asked, “Who became your mentor(s) during your years at Gettysburg College?" (Mark all that apply)
- 79% reported professor(s);
- 49% reported fellow student(s);
- 39% reported administrator(s) or support staff member(s).
Only 9% responded “No one”. In other words, 91% of our seniors reported they have had a mentor at the College. This result is similar to pre-pandemic results.
Footnote
- The following definition (developed by a few college administrators years ago) was provided on the survey: “A mentor is defined as: a coach, guide, tutor, facilitator, counselor and trusted advisor who is willing to spend his or her time and expertise to guide your development during college.”
Data Source
- 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey (survey launched on April 12; closed on May 13; response rate was around 45%. A final report will be available in the fall)
-
Fact:
For the 2022-23 academic year, for a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate at Gettysburg, total charges (Tuition, Room and Board) (or sticker price) are $76,690, or an annual increase of 3.18 percent (+$2,360); our annual percent increase is lower than that of the following peers:
2022-23 Tuition
2022-23 Total Charges (Tuition; Mandatory Fees; Room; Board)
Annual Percent Increase in Total Charges
2022-23 Total Charges: Peer Compared with Gettysburg
Haverford
$62,850
$81,330
4.62%
+$4,640
F&M
$65,652
$80,884
3.51%
+$4,194
Swarthmore
$58,928
$77,354
5.67%
+$664
Dickinson
$60,776
$77,264
4.47%
+$574
Bucknell
$61,408
$77,104
3.25%
+$414
Gettysburg
$61,760
$76,690
3.18%
Lafayette
$58,110
$75,954
4.00%
-$736
Data Source
- Institutional Websites
-
Fact:
During the past two years, the unprecedented pandemic posed major challenges for students’ learning environments and processes. Despite these challenges, a healthy majority of the 2022 graduating class reported they have participated in the following high-impact learning experiences during their undergraduate career at Gettysburg:
2019
2020
2021
Community service
86%
$82%
81%
Internships (paid or unpaid)
77%
68%
71%
Working with faculty on research
55%
56%
57%
Data Source
- 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey (survey launched on April 12; closing date: May 12). Presented above are preliminary results. Response rate as of 5pm, May 11 was 45%. A final report will be available in the fall.
- Historical data: Gettysburg College Facts & Figures
-
Some of you have already visited the Outcomes Dashboard which was created by the Office of Institutional Analysis and was launched this Tuesday (May 3). It displays our alumni's employment and graduate school attendance within a year after graduating from Gettysburg (first-destinations). The outcomes data indicate that the College has been graduating students who are ready to make an impact. Below are some interesting statistics about this highly visual, interactive dashboard. [Note: Statistics below have been updated since May 5 compared with the original posting on the Digests, based on another round of LinkedIn profile search and additional information provided by departments.]
Fact:
- A total of 8 graduating classes (2013-2020) are displayed on the dashboard.
In total (8 graduating classes combined):
- 2,868 graduates are displayed in the Employment section.
- 867 graduates are displayed in the Graduate Schools section.
- Taking into account about 43 graduates displayed in both sections (as they were both employed and attending graduate school within that timeframe), we have around 3,692 graduates (unduplicated headcount) displayed on the dashboard (i.e., 462 per graduating class).
- Total number of employers represented: 1,984
- Total number of institutions represented (where they were pursuing a graduate degree/further education): 300
- 97 graduates were employed overseas (foreign countries represented: 34)
Data Source
- Outcomes data were collected by the Office of Institutional Analysis & the Center for Career Engagement.
- Interactive Dashboards (Click the top left thumbnail for the dashboard on first-destinations)
-
Fact:
Based on data of our most recent four graduating classes combined (2018--2021), the most popular (top 4) majors completed by Gettysburg’s international students were:
- Economics (including Mathematical Economics; representing 21% of all majors completed by these international students)
- Computer Science (representing 10%)
- Mathematics (representing 9%)
- Psychology (representing 8%)
All US degree-granting, 4-yr or above, public and private (not-for-profit) institutions combined (about 2,400 institutions): During the 2019-20 academic year, of all the bachelor’s degrees awarded to international students, the most popular (top 4) broad fields of study were:
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Of all the bachelor’s degrees completed by international students, this field of study represented 26%)
- Engineering (13%)
- Social Sciences (several majors combined; 10%)
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (9%)
Footnote
- Double majors were counted as 2 degrees in NCES (IPEDS) reporting and also in our counts.
Data Sources
- Page 9 of the 2021-22 Gettysburg College Fact Book
- NCES: Degree Completions by Field of Study (2019-20)
- Suhua Dong's Customized Summary Table downloaded from the NCES website (Feel free to download it to see the details)
-
Fact:
21% (N=130) of the Fall 2021 first-year cohort were Pell recipients, which represents 5 percentage points higher compared with the first-year cohort who entered five years ago (i.e., in Fall 2016).
Based on the most recent statistics, the 6-yr graduation rate of our Pell students was overall similar to that of our non-Pell students.
Data Sources
-
Fact:
For at least 6 cohorts, Gettysburg male students’ 6-yr graduation rates have been considerably lower than those of female students. For example, for the Fall 2015 entering cohort, the difference was about 10 percentage points (77% vs. 87%).
You might ask, “How about the national trend”? The answer is: A similar pattern has been in existence for years nationally. For example, for the 2014 entry cohort (the latest for whom statistics are available), the 6-yr graduation rate of male students at 4-year private/nonprofit institutions was 64.1%, compared with that of female students which was 71.1%, or a difference of 7 percentage points.
Footnote
- 6-yr graduation rate here means % of the starting cohort who received bachelor's degrees from their initial institutions of attendance within 6 years after entry.
Data Sources
-
Fact:
Five years after graduating from Gettysburg, 98% of the 2016 graduating class are employed or attending graduate school; about 45% have received or are pursuing a graduate degree.
Data Source
- Fall 2021 Five-Year-Out Alumni Survey: A Report of Major Results (Survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Analysis from mid-Sep. to late Oct. 2021. Survey response rate was 35%. Further, OIA conducted LinkedIn profile search during mid-to-late Fall 2021, gathering employment and graduate school information of those who did not take the Survey. Through these two data collection methods, we achieved an 85% Knowledge Rate.
Also interesting: The survey response rate was considerably higher than last time (26%). Thanks to Joe Lynch who suggested offering Servo cookies as a prize. I think it helped. One winner wrote back, telling us: "I am too excited for Servo cookies!"
-
Fact:
When asked about their highest degree aspirations, 80% of Gettysburg’s Fall 2021 first-year students reported they intended to obtain a Master’s degree or higher, similar to our fall 2019 cohort.
Data Source
- Fall 2021 CIRP Freshman Survey: A Report of Select Results. From August 31 to mid-September 2021, the Office of Institutional Analysis invited all of our new first-year students to take the survey. Approximately 35% of our students took it. This was the 1st time we conducted the survey on line (In prior years, we used the paper surveys and the response rate had been over 90%). For highlights, visit: Fall 2021 CIRP Freshman Survey: Highlights.
Also interesting: The CIRP Freshman Survey (a national survey introduced in 1966) was created by Dr. Alexander (Sandy) Astin, '53, Professor Emeritus/Director, Graduate School of Education, UCLA.
