The Office of Institutional Research started the weekly (i. e., on Thursdays) posting of the "Gettysburg College Fact of the Week" (FOTW) 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 (but FOTW provides more context and nuances). This initiative is intended to: (1) promote awareness of various data resources and institutional research; (2) expand knowledge of institutional characteristics and student experience and outcomes; (3) enhance data literacy; and (4) support data-informed conversations. Displayed below are all the previous postings. To search for a particular posting(s), use the browser's built-in search box (press CTRL + F key); type in a keyword(s) and you should be able to see postings with that keyword(s) highlighted in the title and you can jump from one posting to the next.
2025
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As you might have already read from The Chronical of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed, today, The Carnegie Foundation and ACE (American Council on Education) released their latest update to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. They also debut a new classification system: Student Access and Earnings Classification.
“The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the nation's leading framework for categorizing diverse U.S. higher education institutions.” (ACE website)
Fact:
According to their latest update, Gettysburg College's classifications are as follows:
- 2025 Institutional Classification: Special Focus: Arts and Sciences
- 2025 Student Access and Earnings Classification: Lower Access, Higher Earnings
Our Institutional Classification is same as that of the great majority of colleges which we traditionally call liberal arts colleges, e.g., Dickinson.
Of the 220+ institutions with the same Institutional Classification as Gettysburg, below is the distribution in terms of Student Access and Earnings Classification:
Number of institutions
Percent of Total (N=221)
Higher Access, Lower Earnings
10
4.5%
Higher Access, Medium Earnings
69
31.2%
Lower Access, Higher Earnings
48
21.7%
Gettysburg is among this group. See the list below.
Lower Access, Lower Earnings
6
2.7%
Lower Access, Medium Earnings
62
28.1%
Not Classified
16
7.2%
Opportunity Colleges and Universities - Higher Access, Higher Earnings
10
4.5%
See the list below.
Total
221
100.0
Below is the list of the 48 institutions (including Gettysburg) classified as “Lower Access, Higher Earnings”:
Amherst College Barnard College Bates College Birmingham-Southern College Bowdoin College Bryn Mawr College Bucknell University Carleton College Centre College Claremont McKenna College Colby College Colgate University College of the Holy Cross Connecticut College Davidson College Denison University DePauw University Dickinson College Franklin and Marshall College Furman University Gettysburg College Grinnell College Hamilton College Hampden-Sydney College Haverford College Hobart William Smith Colleges Kalamazoo College Lafayette College Middlebury College Millsaps College Muhlenberg College Occidental College Pomona College Rhodes College Saint Mary's College Scripps College Stonehill College SUNY College at Geneseo Swarthmore College Trinity College Union College Virginia Military Institute Wabash College Washington & Jefferson College Wellesley College Wesleyan University Williams College Wofford College Below is the list of the 10 Opportunity Colleges and Universities - Higher Access, Higher Earnings:
Agnes Scott College Albion College Alcorn State University California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt California State University-Channel Islands Morehouse College Oglethorpe University Spelman College University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg University of Puerto Rico-Cayey Footnote
- The list of schools with the Institutional Classification: Special Focus: Arts and Sciences, is as of the morning of April 24, 2025. If the list changes (which is possible), I will update this FOTW posting.
- Access Ratio was based on enrollment of Pell grant recipients and under-represented students (in terms of race/ethnicity). Geographical location was also considered.
- One limitation of the Earnings Ratio is that it was based on earnings of graduates who received federal financial aid during college.
Data Sources
- In the early morning of April 24, 2025, Suhua downloaded the Carnegie datafile from here and then did the following: sorting and running frequencies in SPSS.
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Fact:
Our latest post-grad outcomes rate continues to be excellent. Within a year after graduating from Gettysburg, 98 percent of our 2023 Graduating Class were employed (74%) or attending graduate school/pursuing further education (24%); two percent were seeking employment.
Footnote
- For this graduating class, the Knowledge Rate (percent of the class for whom career status within 12 months after graduation was available at the time of the study) was 82 percent. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), institutions should strive for a minimum knowledge rate of 65%.
- Consistent with our past approach, in calculating the outcomes rate, graduates who were both employed AND attending graduate school/pursuing further education were counted once and were categorized based on their (supposed) primary activity.
- Many students accepted a job offer upon graduation, and the overwhelming majority of the remaining individuals planning to work found employment within 6 months after graduation.
- Update on April 22, 2025: Suhua published the Class of 2023 data on the interactive Outcomes Dashboard on April 21, 2025. The relevant pages in the 2024-25 Fact Book have also been updated.
Data Sources
- Mostly based on the unit-record datasets provided by the Center for Career Engagement (CCE) in early April 2025, with data cleaning and additional analyses performed by the Office of Institutional Research.
- For historical results, visit this Facts & Figures webpage.
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We monitor fall-to-spring retention each year as an early indicator of fall-to-fall persistence rates. The Office of institutional Research regularly provides a fall-to-spring term retention and cohort cumulative retention report based on spring census data. This year, the report was finalized on March 6, 2025 to reflect a few backdated Dec. graduates and departures post the spring 2025 census date (which was the 10th class day, 01/31/2025—the Last Day for Drop/Add or Changing Grading Option).
Fact:
Our fall-to-spring term retention rate remains very high. Our Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 Overall Term Retention Rate was similar to that of last year; it was notably higher than that of three years ago.
Additionally, for each of the 4 entering cohorts (Fall 2021 - Fall 2024 incoming classes), their Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 term retention rate was also similar to the fall-to-spring term retention rate of the respective prior cohort at the same point-in-time.
The table below displays recent historical data:
Overall Term Retention Rate
Fall 2024 to Spring 2025
98.3%
Fall 2023 to Spring 2024
98.4%
Fall 2021 to Spring 2022
97%
Footnote
- Census data: based on the Registrar’s official term enrollment reports. Students who were enrolled in classes as of the end of the day on the College’s official census date were counted.
- A few backdated Dec. graduates and departures post spring census 2025 date: List of these students was based on notifications from the Registrar’s Office and the Center for Student Success. We had a few students who were considered Dec. 2024 graduates although their degree was awarded in early spring due to reasons such as late arrival of transfer transcripts. We had several students who appeared to be enrolled in classes as of the end of the spring census date and thus were counted in the initial census report but later left the College; since their last day of class attendance was on or before the end of the day on Jan. 31, they were considered backdated withdrawals and were not included in Registrar's final official census report in accordance with College policies.
- Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 Overall Term Retention Rate was calculated this way:
- A. Full-time and part-time degree-seeking students enrolled in Spring 2025: 2,134
- B. December 2024 graduates: 42
- C. Spring 2025 new transfers: 1
- D. Full-time and part-time degree-seeking students enrolled in Fall 2024: 2,213
- Overall Term Retention Rate: (A+B-C)/D=98.3%
- The IR Office has consistently used this computing method for our internal term retention tracking purpose.
- As you can see from the formular above: The calculation of the Term Retention Rate took into account attrition, Dec. graduates, and readmitted/reinstated students. Students who graduated in Dec. were counted as retained. Students who were not enrolled in the fall but were reinstated and enrolled in the spring were included in the numerator but not in the denominator. In other words, Term Retention Rate here reflects the overall net change between two census dates (a method consistent with the federal method for calculating retention). Note that attrition here also includes those on leave of absence (LOA), and some of those on LOA may return in the subsequent semester or AY.
- For details of our latest term retention rates and cumulative retention rates by cohort, see the full report (accessible to employees only; log-in required).
Data Source
- Suhua’s report was based on analyses of various unit-record cohort and student body enrollment data files and cross-checking with Registrar’s enrollment reports and unit-record enrollment data files.
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Fact:
Based on the results from a recent survey, the top 6 information sources our prospective students find most trustworthy and useful in learning about a college are:
Campus visit
71%
College website
63%
College rankings (e.g., US News, Princeton Review)
51%
Contact with its current students
49%
High school teacher or guidance counselor
45%
Communications from the admissions office
44%
How about other sources of information? A total of 14 sources were listed on the survey. You can find out more from this chart.
Footnote
- Definition of "prospective students": 2025 US high school graduating seniors who were in our inquiry database (compiled by our Admissions Office) but did not apply to Gettysburg (for Fall 2025 admission).
- These results were based on a recent survey. Note the survey question wording "...in learning about a college" (a, not the). See Data Source below.
- Suhua wants to thank her EES colleagues Carey Thompson, Sarah Kotlinski, and Nick DiGregory for their support for the survey.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analyses of data collected from the 2025 Gettysburg College Prospective Student Survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Research. Survey was open from Feb. 25, 2025 to March 15, 2025. Final Sample: N=727. The response rate was low but the sample size was decent.
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Several organizations publish college rankings by ROI (Return on Investment). In March 2024, Suhua highlighted our ROI rankings based on studies by Georgetown Univ. Center on Education and the Workforce (hereafter, The Center). The Center calculated ROI at intervals of 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 years following initial enrollment at an institution. Around the end of Feb. 2025, they released their latest ROI calculations: Ranking 4,600 Colleges by ROI (2025). Below are our rankings among liberal arts colleges based on their latest release.
Fact:
Based on The Center’s ROI calculations using the latest historical data (2021-22), among all liberal arts colleges (about 200), Gettysburg College's ranking at different time horizons is as follows:
10-year ROI 10-year ROI rank among liberal arts colleges 15-year ROI 15-year ROI rank among liberal arts colleges 20-year ROI 20-year ROI rank among liberal arts colleges 30-year ROI 30-year ROI rank among liberal arts colleges 40-year ROI 40-year ROI rank among liberal arts colleges 2025 Release $185,000 #38 $566,000 #30 $946,000 #27 $1,707,000 #26 $2,469,000 #26 Footnote
- According The Center’s website: “The ROI is the cumulative sum of earnings minus the total out-of-pocket costs based on the average net price”. You can find out more about their methodology on their website.
- The ROI values in their 2025 rankings are in 2023 dollars. In their 2022 rankings, the ROI values were in 2020 dollars; they were in 2017 dollars in their 2019 rankings. Therefore, please do not compare $ values across their rankings released in different years. Their 2025 release no longer uses the term NPV (Net Present Value), which was used in their previous studies.
- On their latest interactive data tool, The Center only display a school’s ROI values, not the rank. They no longer provide a filter--“Liberal arts institutions”. Steps to calculate our rankings: first, Suhua exported The Center’s ROI dataset of all 4k+ institutions. Next: she used IPEDS filters to get the list of liberal arts colleges. Lastly, she match-merged the two datasets to get the list of liberal arts colleges included in The Center’s ROI dataset and calculated the rankings for each school among liberal arts colleges (by using Excel RANK function). If you are interested in seeing the rankings of other colleges/universities, please email her at sdong@gettysburg.edu.
- Like all other rankings, this ranking also has limitations. It was based on data in the College Scorecard, which cover only students receiving some form of federal financial aid. According to the Center’s website: Nationally, during the 2019-20 AY, “55 percent of all students receive federal financial aid. Although the Scorecard data are limited to federal financial aid recipients, prior research conducted by the US Department of the Treasury shows that the median earnings of financial aid recipients are representative of the median earnings of all enrollees at most colleges.”
- Based on The Center's website, it appears individuals included in their analyses of the 2021-22 College Scorecard data were those who started college in fall 2009 through fall 2014. Only those who were employed (and not enrolled in school) when earnings data were collected were included in the earnings data (from IRS). Their study included both graduates (completers) and non-graduates (non-completers).
- In their study, The Center included all liberal arts colleges which had historical College Scorecard data, including a few which have been closed, e.g., Birmingham-Southern College (AL).
Data Sources
- ROI dataset exported from the website of Georgetown Univ. Center on Education and the Workforce
- Gettysburg's rankings among liberal arts colleges were based on Suhua's calculations using the IPEDS liberal arts college list (latest Carnegie Basic Classification: Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus) and Excel RANK function.
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Fact:
In Fall 2024, there were 634 student-athletes at the College (unduplicated headcount. 247 females; 387 males), representing 28.7 percent (634/2207) of the full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student body.
% of student-athletes:
Fall 2023
Fall 2024
Overall
28%
29%
Among men
33%
35%
Among women
23%
22%
Footnote
- Of those 634 student-athletes, about 70 participate in more than one sport.
- Cheer-leaders were not included in the count.
- These statistics were published on Page 51 of the 2024-25 Fact Book
- You can also find the graduation rates of our student-athletes from the Fact Book.
Data Sources
- Suhua’s analyses of a roster provided by Susan Fumagalli, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Compliance Office. Thank you, Susan!
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In April 2024, Suhua posted a Fact of the Week on Data Science and Date Analytics. That posting was based on the 2020-2023 data. Recently IPEDS released its collection-level data on the latest graduating class (2024). So Suhua downloaded the 2024 data, and also re-downloaded the 2020-2023 data (to reflect any possible revisions submitted to IPEDS by schools).
Fact:
In Gettysburg's 2024 graduating class, 37 students graduated with a Minor in Data Science.
Nationally, in the 2024 graduating class, 26 liberal arts colleges reported at least one (undergraduate) student graduating with a Major in Data Science; 10 liberal arts colleges reported at least one (undergraduate) student graduating with a Major in Data Analytics.
Footnote
- 26 liberal arts colleges reported at least one student graduating with a Major in Data Science: 8 of them reported one student graduating with this major.
- In downloading the IPEDS completions data, I identified the Data Science Major and the Data Analytics Major based on their 4-digit CIP Codes (30.70 and 30.71, respectively). Note that when schools report completions data, they are asked to use the 6-digit CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code. In other words, the data Suhua downloaded captured all of the fields of study corresponding to their 6-digit CIP codes (e.g., Data Science, General; Data Analytics, General; Business Analytics) under the broader CIP codes of 30.70 and 30.71. Typically schools used 30.7001 and 30.7101. See the screenshot. The name of the major on a campus may be different from the IPEDS label. For example, at Smith College, the name for the field of study under the 6-digit CIP Code 30.7001 is Statistical and Data Sciences.
- Note the limitation of this posting: IPEDS did not collected data on currently enrolled students with a Major in Data Science or Data Analytics. Therefore, there may be liberal arts colleges which have currently enrolled students majoring in Data Science or Data Analytics, but have not graduated any student with that/those major(s) yet. IPEDS did not collect completions data on Minors.
Data Sources
- Interactive Dashboard on Minors Completed by Graduating Class (You can use the Sort icon in the header of the table)
- Suhua’s analyses of completions data downloaded from IPEDS on 02/26/2025 (IPEDS Class of 2024 data are preliminary at this point). To find out more: see the list of liberal arts colleges with graduates Majoring in Data Science or Data Analytics (as first major or second major) for each of the past 5 years (2020-2024) (Please use your Gettysburg network credentials to log in).
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On Dec. 11, 2024, WICHE (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education) released its 11th edition of U. S. high school graduate projections through a webcast. That day, following that webcast, WICHE published its report titled Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates.
Fact:
According to the latest projections from WICHE, the total number of U. S. high school graduates is expected to peak in 2025 and then decline steadily through 2041. Compared to 2023, 38 states will see declines in the number of high school graduates by 2041.
Footnote
- WICHE projections based on race and ethnicity are only for public high school graduates.
- You can find out more about the key findings, and data visualizations (interactive dashboards), based on overall number, race and ethnicity, region, and state.
- There are Filters on each data visualization page. For example, one of the Filters is “Graduation Years”; the default is set at from 2023 or 2024 to 2041. You can drag the slider so that it stops at a year you are curious about (e.g., 5 years from now--2030 high school graduates), and you will see the corresponding changes on the dashboards. Make sure you read “How to Use this Data Visualization” to know all the nuances.
- Lots of food for thought!
Data Source
- WICHE
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At the Feb. 6, 2025 Faculty Meeting, as part of the Honor Code discussion, a few faculty members made comments about student views of grades. Today's topic for the FOTW was inspired by their comments.
As shared previously, the Office of Institutional Research conducted a new survey in Fall 2024—HEDS (Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium) New Student Survey. All new first-year students at least 18 years old were invited to take the Survey. At Gettysburg, the Survey was open from September 16 to Oct. 7. One of the Survey Questions: Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements (8 statements were listed): "Getting the best grades I can is very important to me." (Rating scale: Strongly agree (5) - Agree (4) - Neither agree nor disagree (3) – Disagree (2) – Strongly disagree (1)).
Fact:
Approximately 94% of our first-year students agree or strongly agree that "Getting the best grades I can is very important to me."
No statistically significant mean difference was found between Gettysburg and the Peer Group (93%), or between Gettysburg men and Gettysburg women.
Footnote
- No statistically significant mean difference was found between Gettysburg men and men in the Peer Group, or between Gettysburg women and women in the Peer Group. Gettysburg overall Mean (based on a 5-point rating scale): 4.531; Peer Group overall mean: 4.532.
- The self-selected Peer Group included 5 schools who participated in the Survey in 2024: Claremont McKenna, Dickinson, Lawrence Univ., St. Lawrence Univ., and St. Olaf College.
- The findings above were based on Suhua's analyses of a unit-record dataset provided by HEDS. The full report was posted on the Office of Institutional Research website (accessible to College employees only).
- Gettysburg Survey response rate: 45%. Average response rate of the Peer Group: 63%.
- Although Suhua used the present verb tense in the summary sentence under Fact, the Survey was conducted in early Fall 2024, so it was a snapshot and some students' perceptions may have changed since then.
- A limitation of the Survey: Those who were not yet 18 years old (at the time of the Survey launch) were not invited to take the survey, per HEDS instructions.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analyses of the Fall 2024 HEDS New Student Survey data
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Fact:
In Spring 2025, among our full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates (N=2,132), 169 or 7.9 percent are studying off-campus. In terms of spring semester off-campus study, this is the highest percentage in the College’s history.
In terms of spring semester off-campus study, the headcount: 169, is the 2nd highest in the College’s history.
Footnote
- The Spring 2025 total off-campus number (169) includes:
- 163 students in the Global Study program (154 studying abroad; 9 in the domestic off-campus study program – Lutheran College, Washington);
- 4 students in the 3-2 dual degree program;
- 2 students completing requirements off-campus.
- In Spring 2014, 173 students or 6.6 percent (173/2627) were studying off-campus; in terms of spring semester off-campus study, both the number and the rate were the highest in the College’s history at that time.
- Spring 2025 total off-campus number (169) and percentage (7.9%): Neither is the highest if you also include fall semester off-campus study statistics in the comparisons.
- Prior to the Pandemic, consistently, more students studied off-campus in the fall than in the spring. Since the 2020-21 AY, the pattern has been inconsistent. (And I do not need to mention what happened in 2020.)
- For more historical data, see Page 32 of our 2024-25 Fact Book.
- For further info, please contact the Center for Global Education (CGE).
Data Sources
- Suhua’s analyses of the Spring 2025 Global Study Student List provided by CGE (Thank you, Steph Rye), Spring 2025 Off-Campus Study Student List based on Suhua’s query in PeopleSoft (Thank you, Dave Nettekoven at Data Systems who developed this query and many other queries for me), and current and historical enrollment data.
- The Spring 2025 total off-campus number (169) includes:
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Fact:
The College’s 2025 Virtual J-Term had 117 attendees across 12 sessions. In person J-Term had 42 attendees across 6 immersion experiences.
Footnote
- Some students may have attended multiple virtual sessions. The total number of attendees displayed above may not be identical with the unduplicated headcount.
- Our J-Term was launched in January 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It "provides students with practical, hands-on programming over the winter break. Each program is designed to build upon classroom learning with crucial college, career, and life skills." (Find out more about J-Term)
- Despite the word “Term”, J-Term attendees are not included in our enrollment reporting, as they do not receive any academic credits from this experience.
Data Source
- Thank you, Jim Duffy (Assistant Vice President for Co-Curricular Education), for providing these numbers.
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Fact:
42 of our undergraduates completed their degree requirements and graduated in December 2024. The table below and this chart show the Number of midyear graduates for the past 15 years. (This posting was updated on Feb. 6, Feb. 19, and Feb. 26, 2025. See Data Sources.)
Footnote
- The latest number of mid-year graduates (N=42) is notably higher than that of the prior year (N=24). However, it is too early to say this represents an upward trend.
- Some of these mid-year graduates were early completers--it took them less than four years to graduate. Some of them were late completers (i.e., they had been at the College for over four years).
Data Sources
- Suhua’s analyses of completions data downloaded from PeopleSoft.
- On Feb. 6, 2025, the Registrar's Office notified Suhua that a student completed the degree requirements and was added to the Dec. 2024 graduate list on that day. Suhua therefore updated this posting on Feb. 6, changing the total from 39 (in the original posting published on Jan. 23) to 40. On Feb. 19, 2025, the Registrar's Office notified Suhua of another backdated Dec. 2024 graduate. Suhua therefore updated this posting again on Feb. 19, changing the total to 41. On Feb. 26, 2025, the Registrar's Office notified Suhua of another backdated Dec. 2024 graduate. Suhua therefore updated this posting again on Feb. 26, changing the total to 42. Because of these changes, the 3-yr average (2000, 2023, 2024) is now 32 (the original average was 31).
2024
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As mentioned in the Oct. 24 FOTW posting, the Office of Institutional Analysis conducted a new survey this fall—HEDS New Student Survey. Below are some additional survey results. Survey Question: Please rate your confidence in the following: Choosing to attend Gettysburg (Response option: Very confident—Fairly confident—Somewhat confident—Not confident)
Fact:
No statistically significant difference was found between female and male first-year students on their level of confidence in choosing to attend Gettysburg.
Footnote
- The comparison was made between these two groups. Sex info was retrieved from PeopleSoft.
- Suhua performed two statistical tests: Independent-Samples T Test (treating the dependent variable as a numerical variable) and Chi-Square Test (treating the dependent variable as a categorical variable). Same conclusion.
- Overall, 2 percent of our first-year students responded "Not confident".
- At this point, peer data have not arrived from HEDS.
- Survey response rate: 45%.
- Survey instrument was developed by HEDS, with supplemental questions added by the College.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analyses of data collected from the Gettysburg Fall 2024 HEDS New Student Survey
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Around this time of the year, schools typically would post their first-year retention rate of the prior year entering cohort. Below are the latest figures of some schools.
Fact:
91 percent of our Fall 2023 entering cohort are enrolled in classes in Fall 2024, higher than that of the prior cohort and also higher than that of almost all of our like schools.
The table below displays comparisons:
First-Year Retention Rate of the Fall 2022 Entering Cohort First-Year Retention Rate of the Fall 2023 Entering Cohort Gettysburg 90% 91% Like schools: Connecticut College 87% 90% Denison Univ. 89% Dickinson College 89% 92% Franklin and Marshall College 85% 90% Lawrence Univ. 87% 87% Union College (NY) 89% 90% Like Group Average (6 schools above) 88% Gettysburg Diff. from the Like Group Average +2.4% Average of all private liberal arts colleges (about 200 schools) 81% Footnote
- The Fall 2023 Entering Cohort refers to students who entered the college as first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students in Fall 2023. It does not include transfers.
- The group average for the Fall 2023 Entering cohort is not available at this point, as one like school has not posted its result, and other like schools (except Union) posted their rounded number (no decimal place). Group averages will be added when IPEDS data become available in the spring.
Data Sources
- Facts and Figures
- Peer school websites: Connecticut College, Dickinson, F&M, Lawrence U, Union
- Fall 2022 entering cohort group averages: Suhua's analysis of the latest IPEDS data
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As you might have noticed from the newly released 2024-25 Fact Book (pp. 57-58), the number of our graduates who earned research doctorates is displayed by broad field and major field of study. Below are highlights of each broad field which makes up at least 10 percent of the grand total (1966-2023).
Fact:
From Academic Year 1966 to Academic Year 2023, 198 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate in Physical Sciences from a U.S. institution. Gettysburg is 26th among all liberal arts colleges based on this total. Gettysburg also stands out in other broad fields:
Broad field
Total (1966-2023)
Rank among liberal arts colleges
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
279
37th
Education
195
32nd
Humanities and Arts
235
52nd
Physical Sciences
198
26th
Psychology
170
41st
Footnote
- Total for a broad field is the combined total of multiple major fields. For example, total for Physical Sciences is the combined total of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Chemistry, and Physics.
- Many years ago, the Fact Book chose to use 1966 as the start point of our own tracking because at that point, information from NSF showed prior to that year data were missing for some schools.
- As emphasized last year, tracking how many of our graduates went on to earn a research doctorate is just one of the many ways to measure outcomes. This posting (and previous related postings) does not intend to suggest this is the most important or the preferred way. We have alumni who went on to pursue a doctorate in medicine, law, or health professions (But doctorates in these fields are not captured by NSF SED). We have alumni who went on to pursue a master's degree. We have alumni who lead a life of meaning, purpose, and impact without a graduate degree. We can measure baccalaureate outcomes in so many ways.
- The entire datasheet for each broad field highlighted above, as well as select major fields (CHEM; PHY) has been shared with the relevant departments. It includes data for each liberal arts college, for each year. If you are interested in getting a copy, feel free to email Suhua (sdong@gettysburg.edu).
Data Source
- Suhua’s analyses of datasets downloaded from the interactive data tool provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)
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The Office of Institutional Analysis conducted a new survey this fall—HEDS (Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium) New Student Survey. All new first-year students at least 18 years old were invited to take the survey. At Gettysburg, the Survey was open from September 16 to Oct. 7. Below are select results about our students. Survey Question: People go to college to achieve many different goals. Which of the following must happen by the time you graduate from Gettysburg College for you to feel like you've had a successful college experience? (Select all that apply) 11 goal statements were listed on the survey.
Fact:
The most common goals for college among Gettysburg's new first-year students are:
I'm prepared to begin a meaningful career.
83%
I feel confident that I will be able to financially support myself in the future.
76%
I’ve learned new things that will help me in my life after college.
75%
I’ve built friendships that will last long beyond college.
74%
This chart shows all of the goals listed on the Survey. (Gettysburg network log-in required)
Footnote
- Survey response rate: about 45%.
- Survey instrument was developed by HEDS, with supplemental questions added by the College.
- The table above was updated on Feb. 10, 2025, upon receiving the final dataset from HEDS. The percentages were slightly revised upwards by about 2% due to the removal of 5 students from the denominator.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analyses of data collected from the Gettysburg Fall 2024 HEDS New Student Survey
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Fact:
During Academic Year 2023 (from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023), 36 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate from a U.S. institution.
During 1966-2023, 1,336 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate from a U.S. institution; Gettysburg ranks 49th among liberal arts colleges based on this grand total.
Footnote- Gettysburg's overall rank (based on the Grand Total) moved up a notch compared with last year (last year: 50th). Note that Trinity Univ. was reclassified as a liberal arts college in the 2021 Update of Carnegie Basic Classification (it ranked ahead of Gettysburg for some years).
- About 220 liberal arts colleges were included in the downloaded dataset.
- Suhua's steps of data analysis: First, build custom tables using multiple filters through this webpage: Table Builder | NCSES | NSF. Next, re-structure the downloaded big tables and calculate totals and Gettysburg's ranks through Excel functions. Then, check the NSF SED methodology document for changes and also check their Technical Notes. Then, compare our ranks with those of last year, and explore possible explanations. Then, compare this year's list of liberal arts colleges with that of last year to identify differences. Finally, update the Facts & Figures webpage and the Fact Book pages.
- If you would like to get the totals and ranks of other liberal arts colleges, please email Suhua at sdong@gettysburg.edu.
- As indicated in the previous FOTW postings on this topic, 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. Also, those who obtained a research doctorate from a non-US academic institution were not included, such as Professor Ian Isherwood.
- For more information about SED, check out this webpage: Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) 2023 | NSF - National Science Foundation
Data Sources
- National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates
- Office of Institutional Analysis
-
Fact:
In Fall 2024, among our undergraduate student body (full-time and part-time degree-seeking), male students outnumber female students by 11 (9 among full-time degree-seeking; 2 among part-time, degree-seeking):
- Male: 50.2%
- Female: 49.8%
We also have a higher percentage of male students in this year’s first-year class (Male: 272 or 53.5%; female: 236 or 46.5%).
Footnote- Students in the off-campus study program (44 male; 70 female) are included above.
- The last time the male: female ratio in the (undergraduate) student body was 50%/50% (rounded figures) was in Fall 1991 or Fall 1992. Since then and prior to this fall, female students had outnumbered male students.
Data Sources
- Facts & Figures
- Registrar’s Office
- Admissions Office
-
Fact:
Five years after graduating from Gettysburg, 90% of our 2015 and 2016 graduates who received federal student aid during college and were working (not enrolled in school) earned more than a typical high school graduate. Their median earnings were $71,373. Both figures were much higher than the mean and median of liberal arts colleges in the nation.
The table below displays more comparative info:Number of graduates working and not enrolled 5 years after completing
Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled 5 years after completing
Number of graduates working and not enrolled who earned more than a high school graduate 5 years after completing
Percent earning more than a typical high school graduate
Gettysburg
600
$71,373
538
89.7%
Group A. All liberal arts colleges in the nation (with data available; N=203):
Group A Mean (Averaging individual school medians)
367
$56,905
305
80.3%
Gettysburg Median earnings higher than Group A Mean by…
$16,388
Group B. Liberal arts colleges in PA (N=20):
Group B Mean (Averaging individual school medians)
698
$64,793
619
86.4%
Gettysburg Median earnings higher than Group B Mean by…
$7,911
Gettysburg’s rank (based on exact values; not rounded values):
Among all liberal arts colleges (Group A)
#27
#23
Among liberal arts colleges in PA (Group B)
#5
#5
Group C. Five Like schools (Connecticut; Denison; Dickinson; Franklin & Marshall; Union)
Group C Mean (Averaging individual school medians)
377
$69,851
332
87.7%
Gettysburg Median earnings higher than Group C Mean by…
$1,522
Footnote
- These statistics only reflect a sub-population of the Class of 2015 and Class of 2016 graduates—those who (1) received federal student aid while attending college; and (2) were working and not enrolled in school during the earnings measurement period. Their earnings were measured in 2020 and 2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars. Each school’s federal aid recipients were identified using the NSLDS (National Student Loan Data System). Earning data were sourced from the US Treasury.
- Typical high school graduate: median wage of 25-to-34-year-old workers whose self-reported highest level of education was high school ($30,000 in 2022 dollars).
- "Earnings are defined as the sum of wages and deferred compensation from all W-2 forms received for each individual, plus self-employment earnings from Schedule SE." Both full-time and part-time workers were included.
- This is intended to be descriptive information, not evaluative. Also note the limitations of the numerical Ranks under the column: "Percent earning more than a typical high school graduate": Suhua calculated the Ranks based on the exact values (with many decimal places), so even a small difference in the percents will lead to a difference in the numeral Rank, which may not be that meaningful in comparison.
- If you are curious about the numbers for other liberal arts colleges, feel free to email Suhua at sdong@gettysburg.edu.
Data Sources
- Two data files downloaded from the College Scorecard website: a humongous dataset with institutional-level data, and Data Dictionary.
- Technical Documentation file downloaded from its Data Documentation webpage
-
Fact:
In Fall 2024, among full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates at the College,
- 14 percent are International Students;
- 21 percent are Domestic Students of Color (DSOC);
- 62 percent are Domestic White Students; and
- 3 percent are Domestic Students whose ethnicity and race are unknown.
Combined, International Students and DSOC make up 35.3 percent of the full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student body (last fall: 33.3%).
Footnote
- In addition to those full-time, degree-seeking students, there are two part-time, degree-seeking students who are DSOC, two non-degree-seeking undergraduates who are International (exchange students), and 1 non-degree-seeking student who is a DSOC. When all undergraduates (full-time and part-time; degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking) are combined, International Students and DSOC make up 35.4 percent of the undergraduate student body.
- Domestic Students include the following: U.S. citizens, U.S. residents, and other eligible non-citizens, as defined by the federal government for IPEDS reporting purposes.
- DSOC include Domestic Students of all ethnic/racial categories except for White students and those whose Ethnicity and Race are unknown. Definitions of categories follow the current federal guidelines: Definitions for New Race and Ethnicity Categories (ed.gov)
- Some of you might have noticed, in March 2024, Federal Register published regulations to revise the standards for collecting and reporting Race and Ethnicity data, e.g., for IPEDS. US Department of Education will develop an Action Plan within 12 months. Expected implementation timeline for institutions is not released yet (so institutions are still using the current categories in reporting). Major changes include, but not limited to: Collect Race and Ethnicity information using one combined question; Add a new minimum reporting category for Middle Eastern or North African separate and distinct from the White category, and to revise the White category definition accordingly.
Data Sources
- Office of the Registrar Race/Ethnicity Report
- Facts & Figures website
-
Some of you may have noticed: Since the summer, Suhua kept posting results from our 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey. Previously she posted results based on quantitative data. Below she posted themes based on seniors' responses to an open-ended question (qualitative data).
Survey Question: “What experiences at Gettysburg College have been most helpful in preparing you to be successful and live the life you want to lead after college?”
Fact:
Over 280 seniors answered this question. The most commonly reported experiences were:
- Academics (about 135 mentions)
- academic coursework overall
- supportive professors
- breadth and depth of knowledge and skills such as critical thinking and communication skills
- faculty mentored research, including independent study
- High-impact learning experiences or educationally enriching experiences (approximately 30 ~ 40 mentions for each experience): athletics, study-abroad, joining a fraternity/sorority, on-campus employment, campus leadership experience, internships
- Experiences which led to personal growth: finding balance, creating a schedule, making decisions, public speaking, speaking up, finding a solution, living on one's own by living off campus, developing a plan, time-management, social skills, overcoming adversity, learning to work with different people, work ethic, learning from mistakes (40 mentions)
- Relationships formed with people at Gettysburg, esp. professors and peers (31 mentions)
Footnote
- Suhua coded the comments using commonly used qualitative research methods, e.g., identifying meaning units, themes, etc. She did not use Generative AI to analyze the comments!
- The final report of our results will be available later in the fall—Suhua is waiting for peer data from HEDS as of today, 09/05/2024.
Data Source
- Gettysburg 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (our overall survey response rate: about 92%. Most respondents did not answer the open-ended question above.)
- Academics (about 135 mentions)
-
Fact:
By the time of graduation, approximately 60 percent or more of our 2024 graduating class reported substantial impact of the following experiences:
Percent of the Gettysburg Sample Reporting Substantial Impact
Working with faculty on research
60%
Off-campus employment
60%
Independent study
65%
Intercollegiate athletics
69%
On-campus employment
71%
Internships (paid or unpaid)
71%
Sorority/fraternity
80%
Study abroad
88%
The chart shows all items listed on the survey.
Footnote
- These statistics were based on data collected from the Gettysburg College 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey Question: "To what extent has your experience with each of the following at Gettysburg College contributed to your learning and personal development? If you have not had any experience with something we ask about, please select “Have not experienced.” (Response Option: Have not experienced; Very much--Quite a bit--Some--Very little) (Students can only select a single response). 17 items are listed on the survey.
- Displayed above is the combined percentage of those who selected "Very much" or "Quite a bit" (interpreted here as "Substantial Impact").
- Based on our graduating seniors' self-reports on the 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (perceived gains, not based on objective, criterion-referenced measures)
- This is intended as descriptive information, not evaluative.
Data Source
- Gettysburg College 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (our overall survey response rate: about 92%)
-
Fact:
24.9 percent of our 2024 graduating class (138/554) were double majors (including 3 students who completed 3 majors), a record high in the College’s history.
The table below displays the 5-yr historical trend for Gettysburg:
Graduating Class
% of double majors
2024
24.9%
2023
23.7%
2022
19.2%
2021
22.8%
2020
18.8%
Footnote
- This is intended as descriptive information.
- 554 students in the 2024 graduating class completed 695 majors.
- You can find number of graduates by major in this table and also on this interactive dashboard. You can use the dashboard to find out the historical trend of a particular major by using the filters. You can also sort and find out the most popular majors overall, and by sex. See the three attachment for examples.
- On the above-mentioned dashboard: There is a sorting feature on the headers of the summary table. Move the cursor to the header—2024; click the Sort icon (which looks like a downward arrow), and numbers will be displayed for the 2024 graduating class in descending order. You can sort each graduating class to get the top majors overall and by sex.
- Many students in this graduating class also completed a minor, as you can see from this Minors Dashboard
Data Source
- Statistics were based on the degree completions reports provided by the Registrar's Office.
-
Fact:
By the time of graduation, 61 percent of the 2024 graduating class reported that they had served in a leadership role (e.g., RA) on campus during their time at Gettysburg. 88 percent of these respondents reported that serving in a leadership role(s) substantially enhanced their leadership skills.
Footnote
- Survey question: “Have you served in any of the following leadership roles during your years at Gettysburg College: Residential Education staff (e.g., RA), campus organization/club officer (e.g., in Student Senate, Greek organizations, clubs/organized groups), athletic team captain, GLC (Garthwait Leadership Center) leadership mentor/outdoor facilitator, CPS (Center for Public Service) program coordinator, tour guide, EI (Eisenhower Institute) Undergraduate Fellow, or similar leadership positions?” (Response option: Yes; No). Those who responded “Yes” were then asked to indicate the impact of this leadership experience on their leadership skills: “To what extent has this experience (i.e., serving in leadership role/roles) enhanced your leadership skills?” (Rating Scale: Very much - Quite a bit – Some - Very little). 88 percent reported their leadership skills were substantially enhanced (the combined percentage of those who responded “Very much” or “Quite a bit”, interpreted as “substantially); 10 percent reported “Some” enhancement; and 2 percent reported “Very little” enhancement.
- This is a Gettysburg supplemental question to the HEDS Graduating Senior Survey. Thus no peer comparison data.
- Thank you to Andy Hughes (Executive Director of the Garthwait Leadership Center) for reviewing the survey question wording and providing valuable suggestions.
- For historical data, please use the 2023-24 Fact Book (p. 17).
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of the 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey data (Overall survey response rate: about 92%). For some cases, Suhua also used data collected from the 2024 Center for Career Engagement (CCE) Commencement Prep Day Survey. Thank you Chris Ford (Associate Director, CCE) for sharing the CCE survey raw dataset.
-
Fact:
By the time of graduation, 71 percent of the 2024 graduating class reported that they have had on-campus employment during their time at Gettysburg. This percentage is similar to that reported by the 2023 graduating class.
The table below displays historical data:
2023
2024
Gettysburg
70%
71%
Peer Group Average
N/A
Will be available in the fall
Footnote- Based on seniors' self-reports on the 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey data conducted this April. It is unknown if analyses of objective data (payroll records of the past 4-5 years) would yield an identical rate.
- For many students, on-campus employment is essentially an internship, which is among the High-Impact Practices (HIPs) based on national research.
- 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.) for Gettysburg students. More on this in a future FOTW posting.
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of the 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey data (Overall survey response rate: about 92%)
-
Fact:
By the time of graduation, 54 percent of the 2024 graduating class reported that they have done an Independent Study during their time at Gettysburg. This percentage is similar to that reported by the 2019 and 2021 graduating classes.
The table below displays historical and peer data:
2019
2021
2024
Gettysburg
55%
55%
54%
Peer Group Average
46%
42%
Will be available at a later date
Footnote
- Based on seniors' self-reports on the 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey data conducted this April. It is unknown if analyses of objective data (transcripts) would yield a similar rate.
- The numbers for the 2022 graduating class are also available. However, our survey response rate was not as high--45%. Thus they are not displayed here.
- Schools in the Peer Group varied from year to year.
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of the 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey. (Our overall survey response rate: about 92%).
-
Fact:
Among our 2024 graduating class, Domestic Students of Color (DSOC, as a combined group) studied abroad (during their time at the College) at a similar rate as Domestic White Students (43.7% and 44.6%, respectively).
The table below displays details:
Subgroup by International Status and Race/Ethnicity
Total number of students in the 2024 graduating class
N of students who studied abroad
Study-abroad rate
International Students
29
12
38%
Domestic Students:
Asian
14
3
21%
Black or African American
23
11
48%
Hispanic/Latino
58
27
47%
American Indian/Alaska Native and Students of Two or More Races (Combined)
24
11
46%
Domestic Student of Color as a Combined Group (subtotal: sum of the 4 rows above)
119
52
43.7%
Race and Ethnicity Unknown
14
4
29%
White
392
175
44.6%
TOTAL
554 243 43.9% Footnote
- The current DSOC 43.7% is an updated number posted on 08/27/2024, based on the new information from the Registrar's Office that one more student (who was a DSOC and did not study abroad) was awarded the degree in late August as a May graduate. In the original posting on July 25, it was 44.1% for DSOC.
- International students: 12 studied abroad, which is an updated number posted on 08/27/2024, based on the new information that one international student who studied abroad was missing from the original CGE list. (The original number was 11.)
- American Indian/Alaska Native and Students of Two or More Races were combined for display purpose, as one group has a very small number of students.
Data Sources
- Suhua's analyses of the list of global-study students in the 2024 graduating class (provided by the CGE), study-abroad data Suhua downloaded from PeopleSoft, completions data, and race/ethnicity data.
- Previous years' statistics can be found in Gettysburg College 2023-24 Fact Book.
-
Fact:
By the time of graduation, 44 percent of our 2024 graduating class had studied abroad during their time at Gettysburg.
The table below displays multi-year statistics:
Graduating Class
2021
2022
2023
2024
% studied abroad
53%
20%
35%
44%
Footnote
- 2024 graduating class: refers to August and December 2023 graduates and May 2024 graduates.
- Study-abroad students: those who studied abroad for a semester or a year and earned academic credits
- At Gettysburg, most of those who studied abroad did so during their junior year. In the table above, you will notice a sharp decline on the 2022 graduating class study-abroad rate. As I explained on the August 25, 2022 Fact of the Week posting: Most of the students in the 2022 graduating class entered the College in Fall 2018; their junior year was the 2020-21 academic year--we were in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic. It’s important to keep this context in mind when interpreting the table above.
Data Sources
- Suhua's analyses of the list of global-study students in the 2024 graduating class (provided by the Center for Global Education. Thank you, Steph and Jesse), and the completions data.
- Previous years' statistics: Gettysburg College 2023-24 Fact Book
-
Fact:
Nationally, of all the bachelor’s degrees awarded at postsecondary institutions during the 2021-22 completion year, the most popular fields of study were:
Field of Study (Title based on the 2-digit CIP Code)
2021-22 (Total Number of Degrees Awarded)
2021-22 (Percent of Total)
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
374,780
18.6%
Health Professions and Related Programs
263,765
13.1%
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
131,462
6.5%
Social Sciences
129,717
6.44%
Psychology
129,609
6.43%
Engineering
123,017
6.1%
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
108,503
5.4%
Visual and Performing Arts
90,241
4.5%
Education
89,410
4.4%
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
86,043
4.3% Footnote- Postsecondary institutions here includes both public and private (including not-for-profit and for-profit) institutions which participated in the US federal student aid program.
- A Field of Study is the Title used by IPEDS based on its 2-digit CIP Code, therefore represents a broad discipline and includes multiple Majors (a Major is defined by a 6-digit CIP Code). For example, Psychology as listed here is based on its 2-digit CIP Code: 42, under which are various Majors such as 42.0101 (Psychology, General), and 42.2704 (Experimental Psychology). Social Sciences as listed here is based on its 2-digit CIP Code: 45, under which are various Majors such as 45.0601 (Economics, General), and 45.1001 (Political Science and Government, General).
- Displayed above are only the fields of study which each made up more than 3 percent of the total. To see the remaining fields of study and the 5-yr trends, please see this table.
- IPEDS counts Double Majors within both Majors (thus IPEDS treats a double-major student as receiving two degrees.) (Therefore the denominator used in calculating the percent is not the unduplicated headcount of students)
- Completion Year 2021-22: fields of study completed by the 2022 Graduating Class--those who graduated within the period from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. For Gettysburg, 2022 Graduating Class refers to our August 2021 and December 2021 graduates and May 2022 graduates.
- 2021-22 Completion Year data are the latest release from IPEDS. The 2022-23 Completion Year data have been collected by IPEDS, but not released yet.
Data Source
- US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Completions component 2021-22 provisional data. Suhua downloaded the data on the night of June 19, 2024, re-constructed the table to display 5-yr historical data (2017-18 to 2021-22) and calculated the percentages.
-
Last year, Suhua posted FOTW (April 13, 2023; April 27, 2023) on student on-campus employment during the 2022-23 Academic Year (AY). Below is the latest statistic.
Fact:
The College provides abundant opportunities for students to work on campus to apply their skills and help pay their college expenses. During the 2023-24 AY, approximately 890 students (unduplicated headcount) were employed on campus, representing 38% of our undergraduate student body. This percentage is similar to last year.
Based on the 2022-23 AY data, Gettysburg had a higher percentage of undergraduates working on campus than most of the peers listed below:
2022-23 AY
2023-24 AY
Gettysburg
38%
38%
Other Liberal Arts Colleges:
Will become available in the fall of 2024
Bates
49%
Bucknell
30%
Centre
30%
Colby
55%
Colgate
34%
Dickinson
27%
Hamilton
56%
Hillsdale
52%
Lafayette
36%
Macalester
19%
Rhodes
24%
Skidmore
48%
Spelman
7%
St. Lawrence
27%
Wheaton (IL)
41%
Median of the schools listed above
34%
Average of the schools listed above
36%
Also searched other liberal arts colleges with a US News rank #21 to #60 (excluding those located on the West Coast), as well as Bryn Mawr. No info published on the US News school profile page.
N/A
Peer data for the 2023-24 AY will be added when available.
Footnote- Important caveat: Our total above: 890, only includes students who were employed by the College during the fall 2023 and/or spring 2024 semester(s). It does not include Leadership Roles who receive a Fellowship (e.g., Residence Coordinators, Community Advisors, House Leaders, or Resident Assistants); if we also include these positions, the % would be at least one percentage point higher (based on last year’s pattern). Additionally, the College offers many research Fellowship opportunities, which are not included here either.
- Of the other schools which reported data, we do not know whether they counted that kind of Leadership Roles/Fellowships as on-campus employment.
- For many students, on-campus employment is essentially an internship, which is among the High-Impact Practices (HIPs) based on national research.
Data Sources
- For the 2023-24 AY, Suhua calculated our percentage (38%) based on the numerator provided by Missy Grimsley (Human Resources Information Systems Manager. Thank you, Missy!), and the denominator based on Suhua’s analysis of census enrollment files (unduplicated headcount of undergraduates enrolled in Fall 2023 or/and Spring 2024).
- Missy’s on-campus employment student list is as of May 24, 2024.
-
The 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey includes a question: "To what extent has your experience at Gettysburg College contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas?" 13 areas were listed.
Fact:
82 percent ~ 93 percent of our May 2024 graduates reported that their experience at Gettysburg College has substantially contributed to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in 12 out of the 13 areas listed.
(69 percent reported so on civic engagement.)
On each item, the result improved compared with last year’s graduating class.
The table below shows the 2024 % reporting substantial gains, and the average score (on a 4-point rating scale) by item--in descending order based on the 2024 average score (Mean):
Learning Outcome
Gettysburg 2023 graduating class: Mean
Gettysburg 2024 graduating class: Mean
Gettysburg 2024 graduating class: percent reporting Substantial Gains
Critical Thinking
3.44
3.53
93%
Integrative Thinking
3.36
3.44
90%
Information Literacy
3.38
3.43
91%
Effective Writing
3.35
3.41
89%
Problem Solving
3.31
3.37
87%
Careful Reading
3.29
3.33
86%
Ethical Reasoning
3.20
3.295
84%
Quantitative Literacy
3.24
3.294
82%
Effective Speaking
3.18
3.288
83%
Creative Thinking
3.20
3.27
83%
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence
3.15
3.26
82%
Teamwork
3.14
3.24
82%
Civic Engagement
2.85
2.98
69%
Footnote- The survey question uses a 4-point rating scale: Very little (1)—Some (2)—Quite a bit (3)—Very much (4). The combined percent of “Quite a bit" and “Very much” is interpreted as “substantially”. For 2024, for each item, approximately 1 percent of respondents reported “Very little”, except for Creative Thinking, on which 2 percent reported “Very little”, and Civic Engagement, on which 5 percent reported “Very little”. If you also want to know the percent for "Some", please let me know.
- Critical Thinking has consistently been the Top area of perceived gains for our students. Civic Engagement has consistently been the area where our students reported the least gains. This pattern has been the same with our peers prior to 2024 (2024 peer data are not available at this point).
- HEDS adopted these 13 learning outcomes from the set of "Essential Learning Outcomes" developed by AAC&U.
- “The Gettysburg Approach builds within every student a breadth and depth of knowledge and set of enduring skills.” Of the 7 Enduring Skills emphasized by our college, Adaptability is not part of the HEDS Graduating Student Survey instrument and Leadership is not included this year.
- These results were based on student self-reports (perceived gains), not based on criterion-referenced tests.
- Peer results will be available at a later date. For earlier years’ comparisons: see the following webpage: our 2021 results compared favorably on intellectual outcomes overall.
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of our students' self-reports on the 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (Overall response rate: about 92%).
-
Fact:
Among our May 2024 graduates, 19 percent (N=100) were first-generation college students.
Footnote- Of the 527 anticipated May 2024 graduates who were invited to take the HEDS Graduating Senior Survey, 487 took the survey; of these 487, 458 provided their parental level of education info by answering this survey question: What is the highest level of education completed by either of your parents or those who raised you? Of the remaining 69 students who did not provide information on the senior survey, Suhua checked their responses to the First-Year Dashboard and/or the Common App data.
- Definition of first-generation college student: Neither parent (or those who raised the student) held a bachelor’s degree or higher at the time of the survey (or, for those 69 students, at the time of starting college).
- This percentage (19%; 100 out of 527) is notably lower than that of last year's graduating class. One possible/probable explanation was the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The overwhelming majority of this year’s graduating class entered the College in the Fall of 2020. This research examined the Impact of COVID on College-going (brown.edu).
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of student self-reports on the 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey, First-Year Dashboard data, and Admissions data.
-
Fact:
Gettysburg College 2024 graduating seniors were asked (survey question): Who became your mentor(s) during your years at Gettysburg College? (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.) (Mark all that apply). 92 percent of our seniors reported they have had a mentor at the College. 8 percent (n=36) indicated "No one". Both percentages are similar to those of the pre-pandemic graduating class (2019) and last year.
Graduating class
2019
2023
2024 (Preliminary)
% Reported having had a mentor at the College
92%
93%
92%
Sources of mentoring:
Professor(s)
76%
Fellow student(s)
43%
Administrator(s) or support staff member(s) (including Coaches)
39%
Coach(es)
19%
Alumni
17%
Footnote- The definition of Mentor displayed on the survey (see above) was developed by a number of College administrators years ago.
- Other (Please specify) was also listed as a response option on the survey. A small number of students selected this option and their responses were recoded into proper categories.
- Thanks to our graduating seniors who took the survey, and to my colleagues who helped boost the response rate.
- Most students in this graduating class entered the College in Fall 2020--in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Please note this context in making historical comparisons.
- A full report of results will be available in the fall when peer data become available.
Data Source
- Suhua's analysis of the 2024 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (All May 2024 graduating seniors were invited to participate. The survey was open from April 15, 2024 to May 10, 2024; overall response rate was about 90 percent (Note: the number of respondents may not be identical for all questions.)
-
Fact:
-
62 percent (363 out of 585) of the current first-year class have declared a major. Major declaration rate differs by sex:
- Female: 75%
- Male: 49%
- 98 percent (561 out of 573) of the current sophomore class have declared a major.
Footnote- Suhua calculated the percentages using PeopleSoft data downloaded on the evening of May 8, 2024.
- Current first-year class=Fall 2023 entering cohort members who are currently enrolled in Spring 2024 (original cohort: 604; currently enrolled as of May 8, 2024: 585)
- Current sophomore class=Fall 2022 entering cohort members who are currently enrolled in Spring 2024 (original cohort: 644; currently enrolled as of May 8, 2024: 573)
- According to here, students have until the end of their sophomore year to declare a major.
- It is possible that some of those undeclared students have made up their mind about choosing a Major, but have not officially declared a Major in PeopleSoft (our administrative database).
Data Source
- Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft
-
-
On Nov. 9, 2023 and again on April 4, 2024, Suhua posted the average and median class sizes at Gettysburg in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, respectively. As shared previously, in accordance with the Common Data Set (CDS) instructions, lab sessions were excluded from those calculations.
Below are enrollment statistics for our science lab sessions.
Fact:
During the 2023-24 academic year, science lab sessions average 15 students; the median size is 14.
Footnote- Science lab sessions only included those offered by the following departments: BIO, CHEM, Environmental Studies, Health Sciences, Physics, and Psychology. Lab sessions offered by other departments (ECON, BOM, and one lab by the Educational Studies program and one lab by Sociology Dept) were excluded for this purpose.
- As with the calculations of class sizes of lecture sections, for cross-listed labs, the combined enrollment was used.
- A few courses (offered by the BIO, CHEM, or PHY depts) were coded as LL (instead of LAB) in the workload files. They were excluded from the count of lab sessions for this purpose. If including them as labs, for Fall 2023, the mean was 15 (rounded) and the median was14; for Spring 2024, the mean is 14 (rounded) and the median is 14.
- As with lecture sections, lab session enrollment varies by course level. For example, in Fall 2023, 300-level lab sessions averaged 10 students.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analysis of unit-record faculty workload/class session data files provided by the Registrar's Office.
-
Recently, IPEDS preliminary data on Fall 2023 enrollment became available. Below are peer comparisons on Fall 2023 first-year class enrollment.
Fact:
In Fall 2023, Gettysburg’s enrollment of full-time students in the first-year class was 603. The average of our 5 like schools was 564.
The table below provides detailed comparisons:
First-Year Class: Full-time Enrollment
Fall 2022
Fall 2023
Gettysburg
644
603
5 Like Schools:
Connecticut
630
555
Denison
683
636
Dickinson
577
525
F&M*
487
553
Union
575
550
Average of the 5 Like schools above (Like Group Average):
590
564
Gettysburg Diff. from the Like Group Average
+54
+39
All private liberal arts colleges:
Mean
365
358
Median
353
349
27th percentile
230
215
75th percentile
503
503
Gettysburg's percentile rank among all private liberal arts colleges
90%
88%
*Fall 2022 appears to be an outlier year for F&M. It did not have such a small cohort size (N=487) before.
Footnote- First-Year Class: only first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students were included.
- IPEDS asked institutions to report enrollment of the first-year class was as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2023. For Gettysburg, it was as of the fall census date--end of the day of September 8, 2023--last day to Drop/Add/Change Grading Option. If a peer institution enrolled new first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who entered at the start of the spring 2024 semester, those were not included above.
- For about a dozen schools, their IPEDs data for Fall 2023 enrollment are not available at this moment. In that case, information from their institutional websites or the average of two prior years was used.
- Two-year data do not necessarily indicate a multi-year trend.
- Private, not-for-profit liberal arts colleges: about 200 schools were included.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analyses of Fall Enrollment data downloaded from IPEDS on April 25, 2024 (IPEDS Fall 2023 Enrollment data are preliminary at this point).
-
Fact:
In Gettysburg's Class of 2023, 27 students graduated with a Minor in Data Science, almost quadrupling the number in the 2021 graduating class.
Nationally, about 20 liberal arts colleges reported at least two students graduating with a Major in Data Science or Data Analytics in the Class of 2022 or the Class of 2023.
Footnote- Class of 2023: As explained in previous postings, the definition is based on the reporting period used by the IPEDS Completions Survey (the 12-month time period beginning July 1 of 2022 and ending June 30 of 2023). At Gettysburg, this group refers to August and December of 2022 graduates and May 2023 graduates.
- In downloading the IPEDS completions data, Suhua identified the Data Science Major and the Data Analytics Major based on their 4-digit CIP Codes (30.70 and 30.71, respectively). IPEDS did not collected data on currently enrolled students with a Major in Data Science or Data Analytics. Therefore, there may be other liberal arts colleges which have currently enrolled students majoring in Data Science or Data Analytics, but have not graduated any student yet or have not reported their completions data to IPEDS yet.
- IPEDS did not collect completions data on Minors.
Data Sources
- Interactive Dashboard on Minors Completed by Graduating Class (You can use the Sort icon in the header of the table)
- Suhua’s analyses of completions data downloaded from IPEDS on April 18, 2024 (IPEDS Class of 2023 data are preliminary at this point). See the list of liberal arts colleges with graduates Majoring in Data Science or Data Analytics (as first major or second major) in the Class of 2022 or the Class of 2023.
-
On March 2, 2023, Suhua posted a FOTW titled “Latest College Graduates with a Bachelor’s Degree: What Percent were from Liberal Arts Colleges (Class of 2022)”. In recent months, IPEDS collected the completions data of the 2023 graduating class. Below are updates based on the latest IPEDS completions data.
During the 2022-23 Academic Year, 573 students graduated from Gettysburg College with a bachelor’s degree. Nationally, among the Class of 2023 who received a baccalaureate, what percentage received it from a liberal arts college?
Fact:
Among the Class of 2023, of all students receiving a baccalaureate degree(s) from US institutions (Public, Private not-for-profit, Private for-profit), approximately 3.45% were from liberal arts colleges.
For each of the 2020-2023 (undergraduate) graduating classes, the share was less than 4%.
Footnote- For the Class of 2023, the reporting period used by the IPEDS Completions Survey: the 12-month time period beginning July 1 of 2022 and ending June 30 of 2023. (At Gettysburg, Class of 2023 refers to August and December of 2022 graduates and May 2023 graduates).
- Some students completed two majors at 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 218 institutions are currently in this group based on the latest downloaded data from IPEDS (IPEDS does not use the term "liberal arts college"; it uses Carnegie Basic Classification). For the Class of 2023, in terms of the number of graduates (receiving a bachelor's degree from liberal arts colleges): the grand total was about 67,000; the median was around 286; the mean was about 307.
- If you are interested in seeing the numbers for specific schools, feel free to contact Suhua (sdong@gettysburg.edu).
Data Sources
- Suhua’s analyses of completions data downloaded from IPEDS on April 11, 2024 (IPEDS 2023 data are preliminary at this point; subject to minor changes). Total number of US institutions which awarded at least one bachelor's degree during the period specified above: about 2300. All US post-secondary institutions which participate in the federal student financial aid program are required to report data to IPEDS.
- Page 13 of the 2023-24 Fact Book
-
On Nov. 9, 2023, our average and median class sizes in Fall 2023 were posted. Below are updates for Spring 2024.
Fact:
In Spring 2024, the average class size at Gettysburg is 18 and the median class size is 17.
(Fall 2023: also 18 and 17, respectively).
Footnote- Based on our undergraduate classes. Which class sections to be included for the purpose of calculating these statistics was based on the Common Data Set (CDS) instructions (e.g., excluding independent study and subsections such as laboratory or discussion sessions).
- Note that average class size varies by course level and by discipline. You will notice this from Page 11B of the 2023-24 Fact Book. We also have science labs which average fewer than 18 students.
Data Source
- Page 11B of the 2023-24 edition of the Fact Book.
-
Several organizations publish college rankings by ROI (Return on Investment). Highlighted below are ROI rankings based on studies by Georgetown Univ. Center on Education and the Workforce.
Fact:
According to the studies conducted by Georgetown Univ. Center on Education and the Workforce, Gettysburg's ranks have been consistently high among liberal arts institutions based on ROI (measured by Net Present Value or NPV):
10-year ROI (NPV) rank among liberal arts institutions
15-year ROI (NPV) rank among liberal arts institutions
20-year ROI (NPV) rank among liberal arts institutions
30-year ROI (NPV) rank among liberal arts institutions
40-year ROI (NPV) rank among liberal arts institutions
#29
#28
#33
#32
#32
#50
#40
#36
#33
#33
Footnote- Georgetown Univ. Center on Education and the Workforce used NPV to measure ROI at various time horizons (e.g., 10-yr or 10 years after initial enrollment at an institution). You can find definitions of NPV from the weblinks above.
- On the two data tools (see the two weblinks above), the Center displayed a school’s ranks among all types of institutions (about 4500), but not ranks among liberal arts institutions (200+). Suhua used their filter “Liberal arts institutions” and then copied and pasted the resulting list to an Excel file and calculated the ranks for each school among liberal arts colleges (by using Excel RANK function). If you are interested in seeing the rankings of other liberal arts colleges, please email Suhua at sdong@gettysburg.edu.
- Like all other rankings, this ranking also has limitations. The Center's website has a note: "ROI of institutions are calculated using data on the average net price and salary/earnings from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard. .....The earnings data from the College Scorecard include only students who received federal financial aid at the time of enrollment."
Data Sources
- ROI values were published by Georgetown Univ. Center on Education and the Workforce.
- Gettysburg's rankings among liberal arts colleges were based on Suhua's analyses of their data using the Excel RANK function.
-
Fact:
Based on Gettysburg’s 2021-2023 graduating classes (three years’ data combined), the top three most popular majors among female students were:
- Health Sciences (3-yr combined total: 129)
- Psychology (3-yr combined total: 109)
- Political Science (3-yr combined total: 97)
In comparison, the top three most popular majors among male students were:
- Organization & Management Studies (OMS)/Business, Organizations, & Management (BOM) (3-yr combined total: 130)
- Political Science (3-yr combined total: 126)
- Economics (3-yr combined total of those graduating with a BA: 100; 3-yr combined total of those graduating with a BA in Economics or BS in Mathematical Economics: 143)
Footnote- This is intended as descriptive information.
Data Sources
- The interactive dashboard: Degrees Awarded By Major and Sex (2003-2023) - Institutional Analysis - Gettysburg.edu. On the dashboard, Economics (the BA degree program) and Mathematical Economics (the BS degree program) majors are displayed as two separate majors.
- There is a sorting feature on the headers of the summary table on the dashboard. Move the cursor to the header—2023; click the Sort icon and numbers will be displayed for the 2023 graduating class in descending order. You can sort each graduating class to get the top majors overall and by Sex.
-
Fact:
As of this morning (March 7, 2024): 90 percent of the current sophomores (511 out of 569) have declared a Major. 58 sophomores (11 females; 47 males) have not.
Footnote- Current sophomores: students who entered the College in the fall of 2022 (as part of the Fall 2022 cohort) and who are currently enrolled in spring 2024 classes. Transfers were excluded from the analysis.
- It is possible that some of those 58 undeclared sophomores have made up their mind about choosing a Major but have not officially declared a Major in PeopleSoft (our administrative database). The statistics above were based on PeopleSoft student major data.
- As Gettysburg, students have until the end of their sophomore year to declare a major.
Data Source
- Suhua's analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft on the morning of March 7, 2024.
-
There is a Bonus Fact today.
When the COVID-19 Pandemic broke out, the Fall 2019 entering cohort were in the middle of their 1st spring semester. The negative effects of this severe disruption during their 1st and 2nd year of college seems apparent in this cohort's 4-yr graduation rate at many liberal arts colleges which have published their data.
Fact:
73 percent of our Fall 2019 entering cohort graduated in four years or less, slightly lower than that of recent cohorts, but higher than that of our like group average.
The table below displays the comparisons between Gettysburg and our frequently used comparison schools (like schools):
4-yr graduation rate of the Fall 2019 entering cohort:
Gettysburg
73%
Average of the 5 like schools (Denison Univ., Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Lawrence Univ., Union)
66%
Median of these 5 like schools
67%
Highest among these 5 like schools
72%
Another like school--Connecticut College, has not published its latest 4-yr graduation rate yet and info is not available from the consortium data exchange either; thus it is not included in the comparison above. Suhua will update this table once its info becomes available.
Footnote
- 4-year graduation rate refers to the percent of the initial fall 2019 cohort who have graduated by August 31, 2023. While some rankings use the 4-yr graduation rate, most use the 6-yr graduation rate.
- There are still some students in our Fall 2019 cohort who are currently enrolled in classes and are expected to graduate this year or next year.
- Please contact me if you want to know the figure for a specific peer school. Will reveal the individual peer school name once all of them have published their number on their institutional website.
- Most of the liberal arts colleges which have published this cohort's 4-yr graduation rate (as of today) saw a notable decline compared with that of their previous cohorts.
Data Sources
- Retention & Graduation Rates - Gettysburg.edu
- Peer school websites and consortium data exchange
Bonus Fact:
Over the weekend, our women’s basketball emerged victorious and were crowned Centennial Conference Champions for a third straight year. They will play St. John Fisher at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday. Men’s and women’s swimming claimed 28 total medals, including four Conference champions. The women also recorded 10 school records, while the men had two. Rounding out the weekend, Kathryn Hopkins secured a gold medal for the women’s indoor track team.
Footnote
Data Source
- Thanks to Mike Mattia (Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation) for providing this Bonus Fact!
-
Fact:
Overall, our Fall 2023 to Spring 2024 term retention rate is considerably higher than that of last year.
The table below displays details:Cohort
Fall 2023 to spring 2024 term retention rate
Compared with last year: this year the rate is
Fall 2023 entering cohort (first-year class)
97.2% (587/604)
Higher by 0.9 percentage points
Fall 2022 entering cohort (sophomore class)
98.3%
Higher by 1.0 percentage point
Fall 2021 entering cohort (Junior class)
98.9%
Similar
Fall 2020 entering cohort (Senior class)
99.6%
Similar
Footnote
- Figures were as of the Census Date of the Spring 2024 Semester--the 10th class day, Feb. 2, 2024. (No change between then and today--Feb. 22, 2024).
- For the first-year class, the increase of 0.9 percentage points translate to 6 more students retained (than what we would have expected had our rate been same as last year). For the sophomore class, also 6 students.
- For term retention monitoring purpose, students who graduated (in this case, December 2023 graduates) are counted as retained. Term retention rates here are based on net change (that is, attritions and readmits are both taken into account.)
- We monitor fall-to-spring retention by cohort each year as an early indicator of fall-to-fall retention rates. (External reporting and various rankings use fall-to-fall first-year retention rate).
Data Source
- Suhua’s analysis of cohort census data (census data are defined by the Registrar’s Office)
-
Follow-up to last week’s Fact of the Week (FOTW) quiz:
- 18 members of our campus community took the quiz, including students, faculty, and staff. Thank you for your participation!
- “Currently, the College’s Board of Trustees consists of ___members.” The majority of the respondents answered it correctly--35. (Source: President’s Office. Board of Trustees - President’s Office - Gettysburg.edu and Page 23 in the 2023-24 Fact Book which was last updated at 5:50pm, Feb., 8, 2024 (late afternoon of the day Suhua posted the quiz upon receiving further info).
- “Currently, how many committees of our Board of Trustees are there?” A range of answers were provided by the respondents. The correct answer is 13. (Source: President’s Office. See Page 8 of the 2023-24 Fact Book)
- You might be interested in seeing the summary responses to that quiz. (Please log in using your College network credentials.)
Fact:
Our latest post-graduation placement rate continues to be excellent. Within a year after graduating from Gettysburg, 98 percent of the 2022 Graduating Class were employed (79%) or attending graduate school/pursuing further education (19%).
Footnote- Knowledge Rate (percent of the class for whom career status within 12 months after graduation was available at the time of the study) was 77 percent. (According to the NACE or National Association of Colleges and Employers, institutions should strive for a minimum knowledge rate of 65%.)
- One August 2022 graduate and 24 December 2022 graduates were also included as part of the 2022 Graduating Class for this research project.
- Many students accepted a job offer upon graduation, and the overwhelming majority of the remaining individuals planning to work found employment within 6 months after graduation.
- Suhua is currently adding the 2022 Graduating Class placement results to the interactive Outcomes Dashboard. Will be available for public view in the next few days. Stay tuned.
Data Sources
- Thanks to the Center for Career Engagement which provided the placement statistics for the 2022 Graduating Class.
- You can find out more details from this Facts & Figures webpage.
-
Today’s Fact of the Week will be determined through a quiz. Hoping you will participate.
Fact:
Currently, the College’s Board of Trustees consists of ___members.
You are invited to contribute your answer by taking this quiz (quizz closed).Footnote- The 2023-24 Fact Book page 23 (Trustee info section) was initially based on information provided in early August 2023. It was last updated at 5:50pm, Feb., 8, 2024.
- Suhua will post the aggregated results from the quiz next week.
Follow-up on the Feb. 1, 2024 posting: Former Dean and Registrar Emeritus Mr. G. Ronald Couchman (Class of 1963) provided the percentages of Lutheran students for 1960-1980; they have been added to the Table (published under that posting). Thanks to Ron for his contribution.
-
Fact:
In Fall 2023, 2.3 percent of the (undergraduate) student body at the College self-identified as Lutheran (when starting at the College). In Fall 1960, 36 percent of the student body self-identified as Lutherans.
This table has historical data (1960-2023).
Footnote
- These numbers are approximate, as each year there were students who did not respond to the question and thus their religious affiliation was Unknown.
- In addition to the decrease of the percentage of Lutherans, the percentage of Christians (combined total) declined as well (2023 vs. 1985). The percentage of those who indicated "No Affiliation" increased (2023 vs. 1985).
- All undergraduates were included, both degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking.
- Data were collected at the start of college. Wondering about the pattern at the point of graduation? Check out the Fact of the Week posted on June 15, 2023.
- Single-year data will be added at a later date.
- Our College was founded in 1832 and was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for many years. You can find out more about our College’s Lutheran connections from this book (by Charles H. Glatfelter, with Introduction to 2nd Edition by Dr. Michael Birkner, Professor of History), this essay (by Dunkelberger, Harold A.), and this book (by Dr. Michael Birkner, Professor of History).
Data Sources
- Statistics for 1985-2023 were based on the longitudinal data file for the various editions of the Gettysburg College Fact Book (compiled by the Office of Institutional Analysis). The Fact Book pages on religious affiliations were based on reports provided by the Registrar’s Office.
- Statistics for 1960-1980 were provided by former Dean and Registrar Emeritus Mr. G. Ronald Couchman (Class of 1963).
-
Fact:
Towards the end of the 1970s, the percentage of women in the student body at the College started to be roughly similar to that of men. You can find out the profile history from 1950 (when 20% were women) to 2023 (when 52% are women) from this Table and Chart.
Footnote
- To access the Excel file with the Table and Chart mentioned above, please log in by using your Gettysburg College credentials.
- For 1950—1983, I manually searched the old (print!) copies of the Gettysburg College Catalogue located on a bookshelf in the EES (Enrollment & Educational Services) Suite, entered the data into an Excel table, and calculated the percentages.
- You can find the digitalized historical editions of the Catalogue, including those before 1950, from the College’s Internet Archive provided by our Library.
Data Sources
- Enrollment numbers for 1950--1983 are based on the old copies of the Catalogue, except for Fall 1983. Fall 1983 numbers are based on the official enrollment numbers shared by former Dean and Registrar Emeritus--Mr. G. Ronald Couchman (Class of 1963). Ron confirmed that the Catalogue Issue 1984/85 has a typo on p. 171, under Statistical Summary--"1982 Full-Time Enrollment Fall Term" should be "1983 Full-Time Enrollment Fall Term". He also confirmed that the enrollment numbers printed under that section are all correct. Many thanks to Ron who helped solve the "mystery" for Fall 1983.
- Enrollment numbers for 1985--2023 are based on the longitudinal data file for the various editions of our Fact Book (compiled by the Office of Institutional Analysis).
-
Fact:
The College’s 2024 Virtual J-Term had 321 attendees across 13 sessions. In person J-Term had 61 attendees across 6 immersion experiences.
Footnote
- Some students may have attended multiple virtual sessions. The total number of attendees displayed above may not be identical with the unduplicated headcount. Attendee lists are not available at this point. Will update if unduplicated headcount becomes available.
- Our J-Term was first offered in January 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find out more about our J-Term here.
Data Source
- Thanks to Jim Duffy (Associate Dean of Co-Curricular Education) who provided these numbers.
2023
-
Fact:
In Fall 2023,
- 23 percent (N=137) of our Fall 2023 entering cohort are Pell grant recipients.
- Among our undergraduate student body (full-time, degree-seeking students), the proportion of Pell grant recipients is 21 percent (N=approximately 480). Over the years, the % has been increasing, demonstrating the College’s commitment to access and affordability.
The table below displays how Gettysburg compares with other liberal arts colleges in terms of the percentage of Pell recipients in the first-year class during their first year of college*:
Fall 2019 entering cohort Fall 2020 entering cohort
Fall 2021 entering cohort
Fall 2022 entering cohort
Fall 2023 entering cohort
Gettysburg
21%
20%
21%
20%
(preliminary)
23%
(preliminary)
Select peer schools:
N/A N/A Connecticut College
15% 17% 15% Denison Univ.
12% 14% 12% Dickinson College
11% 20% 12% Franklin & Marshall College
21% 25% 16% Lawrence Univ.
24% 24% 20% Union College (NY)
16% 14% 12% Average of the 6 schools above:
17% 19% 14% Average of US News Best Colleges Top 60 schools (National Liberal Arts Colleges category; excluded public ones)**
17% 18% 17% Median of US News Best Colleges Top 60 schools (National Liberal Arts Colleges category; excluded public ones)**
16% 17% 15% Median of all liberal arts colleges***
27% 27% 26% *This is based on IPEDS data. Students who were awarded Pell grant in either fall or spring semester during their first year of college were counted.
**Based on the US News rankings released in September 2023. 62 schools have a rank # lower than 60. 59 schools were included, as 3 public institutions (U.S. Naval Academy; U.S. Air Force Academy; U.S. Military Academy at West Point) were excluded for this purpose.
***About 210 institutions were included.
Footnote
- Fall entering cohort here does not include transfers.
- According to Kathryn Adams, Director of Financial Aid, federal law does not permit international students to apply for the Pell grant. Thus, if we exclude our international students from the denominator, the % would be slightly higher.
- Comparative data for the Fall 2022 and Fall 2023 cohorts are not available yet.
Data Sources
- Page 29 of the 2023-24 Fact Book
- Suhua’s analysis of IPEDS data downloaded on Dec. 13, 2023
-
Fact:
Based on the latest information (Fall 2017 entering cohort), Gettysburg male students’ 6-yr graduation rate continued to be considerably lower than that of female students (80% vs. 85%); however, it is noteworthy that it has improved compared with the two prior cohorts. (Had male students graduated at the same rate as female students in the Fall 2017 cohort, we would have had about 20 more male graduates in this cohort.)
How about nationally? As shared in previous postings (April 7, 2022 & Nov. 18, 2022), for years, nationally, male students’ 6-yr graduation rate has been considerably lower than that of female students. So it has been a common challenge. This table and chart displays how Gettysburg compares with the national averages.
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. This is the federal definition.
- If you are interested in more details about national statistics, check out this Excel summary table which Suhua downloaded from the NCES website.
Data Sources
- Page 38 of our 2023-24 Fact Book
- NCES Digest of Educational Statistics
-
Fact:
In Fall 2023, 27.6 percent of our undergraduate student body (641/2324) are student-athletes (Fall 2022: 25.9%).
Footnote
- In Fall 2023, among female students: 22.7 percent are student-athletes (272/1198); among male students: 32.8% (369/1126).
- A student may participate in more than one sport. The counts above represent the unduplicated headcount.
- Enrollment includes those in off-campus study programs as well.
- As a group, our student-athletes consistently had a higher 6-yr graduation rate than the rest of the students in a cohort, as indicated by p. 41 of the 2023-24 Fact Book.
Data Source
- Page 50 of the 2023-24 Fact Book/Athletics Department. Thanks to Susan Fumagalli (Senior Associate Director of Athletics) for providing the roster.
-
Fact:
In Fall 2023, 26 percent of our full-time faculty are domestic persons of color or international; 9 percent of our full-time administrators and 12 percent of our full-time support staff are domestic persons of color or international.
The table below displays the combined % of domestic persons of color or international among full-time administrators and support staff as a combined group. In Fall 2022, Gettysburg was similar to the median of the seven peers below:
Fall 2022 Fall 2023 Gettysburg
10%
11%
Bucknell
10%
Connecticut College
26%
Denison
11%
Dickinson
9%
Franklin and Marshall College
22%
Lawrence Univ.
16%
Union
9%
Median of the 7 peers:
11%
Average of the 7 peers:
15%
Footnote
- In Fall 2023, there is one international person among our full-time administrators. No international person among our full-time support staff.
- In the table above, full-time administrators and support staff were combined, as IPEDS (peer data source) classifies non-instructional staff by occupational category (e.g., Librarians) and does not make the distinction between administrators and other non-instructional staff. Also note that other campuses may label their full-time employees who are not faculty or administrators differently (instead of using "support staff").
- Peer statistics are not available for Fall 2023. Schools will report their Fall 2023 data to IPEDS in Spring 2024.
Data Sources
- Gettysburg College 2023-24 Fact Book (pp. 22-23) (on the Gettysburg intranet; all Gettysburg students and employees can access it by logging in)
- Peer statistics: Suhua's analysis of IPEDS Human Resources survey data downloaded from the IPEDS website on 11/16/2023
-
Fact:
In Fall 2023, the average class size at Gettysburg is 18 and the median class size is 17.
Footnote
- Based on our undergraduate classes. Which class sections to be included for the purpose of calculating these statistics was based on the Common Data Set (CDS) instructions (e.g., excluding independent study and subsections such as laboratory or discussion sessions).
- Note that average class size varies by course level and by discipline.
- For more detailed statistics, see Page 11B of the 2023-24 edition of the Fact Book.
- Other learning environment related statistics are published on the Facts & Figures website .
- Literature on the effects of class size on student learning is "somewhat inconclusive", and the effects are nuanced and often mediated by a multitude of factors, according to this summary: ClassSizeReport2014.pdf (umich.edu)
- I searched the website of a few nearby liberal arts colleges in PA for their average class size; below is what I found:
- Bucknell: 20
- Dickinson: 17 (unclear if this is the Fall 2023 number)
- Franklin & Marshall: 18
- Haverford: not found
- Lafayette: not found
Data Source
- Office of Institutional Analysis (based on analysis of unit-record faculty workload data files provided by the Registrar's Office and in consultation with the Provost's Office.)
-
Fact:
As you might have noticed from the 2023-24 Fact Book, p. 57: From Academic Year 1966 to Academic Year 2022, 1,300 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate from a U.S. institution. Of these 1,300,
- 267 earned a doctorate in Biological & Biomedical Sciences; for this academic discipline, Gettysburg is ranked 38th among all liberal arts colleges based on this total;
- 165 earned a doctorate in Psychology; for this academic discipline, Gettysburg is ranked 41st among all liberal arts colleges based on this total.
Footnote
- Please see my posting on Oct. 19, 2023.
- I am highlighting these two fields because of their large proportion in our grand total.
- Tracking how many of our graduates have earned a research doctorate is just one of the many ways to measure student outcomes. This posting (and previous related postings) does not intend to suggest this is the only way or the most important or the preferred way. We have alumni who went on to pursue a doctoral degree in medicine, law, or health professions (But doctorates in these fields are not captured by NSF SED). We have alumni who went on to pursue a master's degree. We have alumni who went on to pursue a second bachelor's degree in nursing. We have alumni who lead a life of meaning, purpose, and impact without a graduate degree. We can measure baccalaureate outcomes in so many ways.
- If you are interested in seeing the entire dataset with all liberal arts colleges, feel free to email me (sdong@gettysburg.edu).
Data Sources
- Suhua’s analysis of datasets downloaded from the interactive data tool provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED): Table Builder | NCSES | NSF.
- Page 55-57 of the 2023-24 edition of the Fact Book .
-
Fact:
During Academic Year 2022, 28 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate from a U.S. academic institution; based on this single year data, Gettysburg ranks 43rd among 234 liberal arts colleges.
Footnote
- Academic Year 2022 is the reference period used by the National Science Foundation (NSF) latest Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED); it refers to a 12-month period: July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. NSF released its 2022 data in late September 2023.
- The NSF SED is an annual census of research doctorate recipients from U.S. academic institutions. We do have alumni who earned a research doctorate from a foreign university. They were not included in the count above.
- From 1966 to 2022, 1,300 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate from a U.S. institution; based on this grand total, Gettysburg ranks 50th among liberal arts colleges.
- 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.
- The list of liberal arts colleges was/is based on the Carnegie Basic Classification edition used by the NSF SED Interactive Data Tool for a given year. For Academic Year 2022, NSF used the 2021 Update of the Carnegie Basic Classification. Note that over the years, some colleges were reclassified.
- When our Fact Book started to include statistics based on NSF SED data, the earliest data available from their interactive data tool were for Academic Year 1966--NSF said that prior to that year, the survey response rate was not as robust; for this reason, in our Fact Book, I have been consistently using 1966 as the selected starting year. Actually, NSF started the SED in 1957, and in recent years, the data for Academic Years 1958-1965 became available; if including these earliest years (1958-1965), Gettysburg also ranks 50th among liberal arts colleges based on the grand total (N=1,373).
- If you are interested in seeing the entire dataset with all liberal arts colleges, or finding out our rank by field (e.g., life sciences), feel free to email me (sdong@gettysburg.edu).
Data Sources
- Page 55-57 of the 2023-24 edition of the Fact Book (including distribution by academic discipline).
- Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) 2022 | NSF - National Science Foundation
-
Fact:
The latest 6-yr graduation rate of our Pell grant recipients (89%) is higher than that of the overall cohort (83%). This is based on the Fall 2017 entering cohort.
Footnote
- The Fall 2017 entering cohort refers to students who entered the College as first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students in fall 2017. It does not include transfers. 6-yr graduation rate of this cohort: percentage of students who had graduated from the College as of August 31, 2023.
- This is the highest 6-yr graduation rate achieved by our Pell grant recipients since the Office of Institutional Analysis started to track this group (earliest cohort tracked: Fall 2007 cohort).
Data Source
- 2023-24 edition of the Fact Book
-
Fact:
90 percent of our Fall 2022 entering cohort are enrolled in classes in the fall 2023 semester. Based on the latest three years' data, our first-year retention rate was similar to or higher than the average of our Like peer group.
The table below displays details: (Table updated in late Feb 2024 and again in late April 2024)
First-Year Retention Rate of the Fall 2020 Entering Cohort First-Year Retention Rate of the Fall 2021 Entering Cohort First-Year Retention Rate of the Fall 2022 Entering Cohort Gettysburg
91%
89%
90%
Like schools:
Connecticut College
86%
87%
87% Denison Univ.
87%
90%
89% Dickinson College
92%
89%
89% Franklin and Marshall College
91%
88%
85% Lawrence Univ.
89%
88%
87% Union College.
91%
89%
89% Like Group Average (6 schools above)
90%
88%
88% Gettysburg Diff. from the Like Group Average
+1.2%
+0.1%
+2.4% Average of all private liberal arts colleges (about 200 schools)
81%
81%
Footnote
- The Fall 2022 Entering Cohort refers to students who entered the college as first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students in fall 2022. It does not include transfers.
- Like Group: It is a group of 6 comparison institutions which a College committee selected for comparative analysis.
- Fall 2022 Entering Cohort first-year retention rates of peer schools were not available at the time of the original posting, but were added at the end of Feb. 2024. The Like Group Average for the Fall 2022 Entering cohort was added in late April 2024.
- Retention rates displayed in the table above were rounded (with no decimal place). However, the difference between Gettysburg and the Like Group Average was calculated based on exact values (not based on rounded numbers).
Data Sources
- Detail - Gettysburg.edu
- Suhua's analysis of IPEDS data downloaded on Oct. 5, 2023 and in April 2024. Note that the IPEDS data for the Fall 2022 Entering Cohort are preliminary. Total number of private liberal arts colleges in the dataset: about 200.
- Peer school website (Union College)
-
Fact:
76 percent of the first-year class (458/604) have signed up for the Guided Pathways (as of 09/29/2023).
Footnote
- The first-year class size used here includes 603 full-time students and 1 part-time student.
- New transfers can also participate. For the purpose of this posting (cohort-based approach), they are not included in the statistics above.
- The Guided Pathways is an opt-in program beginning with the first-year class entering Gettysburg College in Fall 2023.
Data Source
- Suhua's counting based on the list of participants (provided by College Life) and the first-year class census enrollment file.
-
The following posting was updated on 09/28/2023, upon notification from the Registrar's Office (09/27/2023) of the backdated withdrawals of two first-year students. The number of first-generation students (a range) was updated to 122~132 (the original posting: 123~133).
Fact:
20~22 percent (122~132) of our new first-year class are first-generation college students (based on their self-reports).
Footnote
- Years ago, the College adopted a definition of “first-generation college student”: a student from a family where neither parent holds at least a bachelor's degree. The Office of Institutional Analysis has been using this definition for reporting purposes (Fact Book). Nationally, there is no single/uniform definition.
- I reported a range instead of a single number here because the percentage varies depending on the data sources: Based on what students self-reported on their Common Application form, the percentage is 22% (N=132); based on what students self-reported on the First-Year Dashboard, the percentage is 20% (N=122). In other words, data for 10 students are not consistent across the two data sources. When you use this statistic for your purposes, I recommend you use a range or use the average of the two percentages--21%.
- At this point, data are missing from two students. They were included in the denominator (N=603; first-time, full-time, first-year students). I sent an email to them inviting them to provide information and will update again if the they respond.
- These statistics will be included in the upcoming Fact Book (to be released probably in early Oct.). At this point, I am still wrangling first-generation data of the entire undergraduate student body (addressing the discrepancies between the two aforementioned data sources); so the percentage (or a range of percentages) of first-gen students in the student body will be available later.
Data Source
- Suhua's analysis of unit-record datasets provided by two offices (Admissions Office: Common Application data; Data Systems: First-Year Dashboard Data). When this Fact was posted on the Digest, three students’ data were missing; Suhua emailed them and one of them responded (first-gen based on self-report) after this Fact was posted on the Digest. The statistics above have reflected this new information.
-
Fact:
Based on the College's Fall 2023 census, there are 100 International Students in the Fall 2023 entering cohort (first-year class), a record high in the College's history.
Click to see these two charts which display the 13-yr trend (both the N and Percentage).
Footnote
- The definition of International Student at the College is consistent with the IPEDS definition of "U.S. Nonresident": "A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely" (IPEDS). We also have a few students who are U.S. Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders); they are not counted among the 100, in consistency with IPEDS rules.
- The three countries most represented by these 100 International Students are: Vietnam (22), Nepal (13), and Bangladesh (10).
- The College Fact Book started to include diversity statistics of the FY class from the Fall 2011 FY class.
- Diversity statistics of the entire undergraduate student body will be shared at a later date. I am in the process of updating the Fact Book.
Data Source
- Suhua's analysis of Fall 2023 FY class census enrollment data downloaded from PS.
-
During spring 2023 (from March 15, 2023 to April 11, 2023), the Office of Institutional Analysis conducted the NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement); all of our first-year (FY) students and seniors (graduating and non-graduating) were invited to take the survey. Highlighted below are a few key results based on responses from FY students.
Fact:
NSSE measured schools on ten Engagement Indicators (summary measures based on individual survey items). On eight Engagement Indicators, Gettysburg FY students’ average score was similar to the Peer Group average. On two Engagement Indicators--Discussion with Diverse Others and Student-Faculty Interaction, Gettysburg FY students’ average score was significantly higher than the Peer Group average, indicating areas of distinction for Gettysburg; specifically, our FY students reported having had more frequent discussions with diverse others and more frequent student-faculty interaction during the 2022-23 school year.
This webpage displays frequencies on specific survey items under those two Engagement Indicators, and other statistically significant differences.
Footnote
- Our FY student response rate was 35%, same as the Peer Group average.
- Peer Group included 17 private liberal arts colleges: Beloit, Bucknell, Colby, Colgate, College of the Holy Cross, Denison, Dickinson, Furman, Hamilton, Juniata, Kenyon, Macalester, Muhlenberg, The Univ. of the South, Washington and Lee, Wheaton, and Whitman College.
- There are other survey items on which Gettysburg students outperformed the Peer Group averages, which are not listed here due to space constraints. Our senior results were largely similar to the Peer Group averages.
Data Source
- Office of Institutional Analysis/NSSE
-
On August 17, I posted that 23.7% of our 2023 Graduating Class (136/573) were double majors (including 4 students who completed 3 majors), a record high in the College’s history. This is Part II on the same topic.
Fact:
Based on the latest data available, Gettysburg's percentage of double majors in a graduating class is higher than some of the selected peers, and lower than others. Gettysburg's percentage is much higher than the median of all liberal arts colleges.
The table below displays historical trends for Gettysburg and 20 comparison schools, as well as medians of all liberal arts colleges. The latest data available for comparisons was from the 2022 Graduating Class.
Graduating Class 2019 2020
2021
2022
2023
Gettysburg
18%
19%
23%
19%
24%
Selected Comparison Schools (N=20)
Bates College
20%
24%
21%
26%
Bucknell Univ.
20%
21%
22%
23%
Centre College
15%
15%
20%
19%
Colgate Univ.
20%
24%
29%
27%
College of the Holy Cross
21%
22%
20%
24%
Connecticut College
29%
29%
30%
33%
Denison Univ.
22%
21%
24%
27%
DePauw Univ.
18%
21%
17%
21%
Dickinson College
26%
28%
29%
26%
Franklin and Marshall College
13%
13%
18%
18%
Furman Univ.
22%
25%
26%
28%
Hamilton College
22%
21%
26%
25%
Kenyon College
19%
21%
17%
23%
Lafayette College
25%
24%
19%
23%
Lawrence Univ.
26%
28%
20%
23%
Skidmore College
20%
18%
19%
20%
The University of the South
11%
12%
11%
8%
Trinity College
18%
24%
25%
25%
Union College
11%
13%
10%
23%
Washington and Lee Univ.
30%
29%
32%
31%
Median of all liberal arts colleges
13%
14%
14%
13%
Footnote
- This is intended as descriptive information, not evaluative. Institutions vary in mission, values and curricular designs. Policies and requirements regarding declaring or completing a second major also vary by institution. Caution should be taken in making value judgements.
- We also had a large number of students completing a minor(s) in each graduating class.
- I have a table which includes the percentages of all liberal arts colleges. Feel free to email me (sdong@gettysburg.edu) if you are interested in details.
Data Sources
- Page 13 of the 2022-23 Fact Book and Registrar's Report on Degrees Awarded by Major: Class of 2023
- Data on other liberal arts colleges: Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from IPEDS on August 31, 2023. The dataset included 217 private (not-for-profit) & public liberal arts colleges, which were all used in calculating the medians above. Note that 2022 IPEDS data are based on its preliminary release. Important caveat: IPEDS data has limitations. Its instructions on how to report triple majors and how to report double majors who received two degrees are very complex; thus some of the above percentages may not be 100% identical to the real/clean numbers. It is impossible to know how many triple majors are in a graduating class for each school; if they had a few triple majors and all triple majors received one degree, then the 2nd and 3rd major completed by each triple major would be both reported under the 2nd major per IPEDS instructions, thus the numerator would have duplicate individuals and the real/clean percentage (when a triple major was not reported twice under the 2nd major) would be slightly lower than the percentage calculated above. Additionally, if a double major was awarded a degree for each major completed (thus receiving two bachelor’s degrees), IPEDS instructed schools to report both majors under the 1st major, thus the denominator would have duplicate individuals and the real/clean percentage (when a double major was awarded just one degree) would be slightly higher than the percentage calculated above. We have no way to know how closely institutions followed these complex IPEDS instructions. At Gettysburg, a double major receives one degree.
-
Classes will start in a few days. Many students are preparing for classes and getting their textbooks. Posted below are some statistics related to student experience of textbooks. Thanks to Janelle Wertzberger (Assistant Dean and Director of Scholarly Communications at Musselman Library) who has been passionate about promoting textbook affordability for our students, and developed a supplemental question for the HEDS Graduating Senior Survey on this topic; her question enabled us to gather important data on the impact of textbook cost on our students’ academic experience.
Fact:
54 percent of our 2023 graduating class reported that in their entire academic career at Gettysburg, the cost of required books and other course materials has affected their academic experience.
The table below displays detailed statistics based on our 2021 and 2023 seniors’ responses.
Survey question: In your entire academic career at Gettysburg College, has the cost of required books and other course materials (art supplies, lab notebooks, lab manuals, clickers, access codes, etc.) caused you to…? [Check all that apply]
Response option 2021 2023
Not register for a specific course
9%
11%
Drop a course before/at the beginning of the semester
6%
8%
Withdraw from a course later in the semester
Response option not listed
3%
Not purchase the required books
32%
44%
Struggle academically because I could not access the book(s)
11%
17%
Change Major
1%
1%
None of these
54%
46%
Other
4%
1%
Subtotal: affected in at least one way
100%-54%=46%
100%-46%=54%
Footnote
- Survey response rate was about 95% for both years.
- To promote student success, our Library staff and the faculty have been working hard to reduce the textbook cost for our students. According to the Scholarly Communications department, in 2022-23 (including Summer 2023), at least 69 faculty used OER or zero-cost materials in 155 sections of 82 courses – these adoptions impacted 3,009 students (count with duplicates) who saved an estimated $407,000 on required course materials (Note. This $ amount is a reasonable estimate.)
Data Sources
- HEDS Graduating Senior Survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Analysis (in April)
- Janelle Wertzberger and Mary Elmquist (Scholarly Communications, Musselman Library). If you’re interested in learning how to reduce or eliminate the cost of your assigned course materials, email oer@gettysburg.edu.
-
Fact:
23.7 percent of the 2023 Graduating Class (136/573) were double majors (including 4 students who completed 3 majors), a record high in the College’s history.
The table below displays historical trends for Gettysburg:
Graduating Class % of double majors
2023
24%
2022
19%
2021
23%
2020
19%
2019
18%
2018
15%
2017
15%
Footnote
- Class of 2023: August and December 2022 graduates and May 2023 graduates.
- % of double majors: triple majors were also included.
- On July 14, 2022, I posted statistics comparing Gettysburg’s percentage with that of our peers, average of Top 50 liberal arts colleges, and the average of all liberal arts colleges. I will update the comparative statistics at a later date.
- This is intended as descriptive information.
Data Source
- Percentages were calculated based on Registrar’s reports: Degrees Granted by Department.
-
Fact:
The College currently offers 41 Majors.
Footnote
- Studio Arts and Art History are counted as two Majors. A newly approved Major: Art History and Museum Studies is also included in the total.
- Organization and Management Studies (OMS) is no longer counted (no current students is indicated with having an OMS Major). The expanded Major: Business, Organizations, and Management (BOM) is counted.
- English and English with a Writing Concentration are counted as two Majors (confirmed by Jack Ryan).
- East Asian Studies - Chinese Track and East Asian Studies - Japanese Track are counted as two Majors, according to IPEDS guidelines. In our reporting to IPEDS, the College has been using a different CIP code for each of these two “tracks” - representing two Majors.
- We used to have Globalization Studies and International Affairs as two separate Majors. They are no longer listed on that Academic Programs A to Z website.For students enrolling in or after Fall 2020, only one Major is offered: International & Global Studies, which is a multi-disciplinary Major. None of the current students indicated with having IGS - Global Studies Major or IGS - International Affairs Major (in PeopleSoft) entered the College prior to Fall 2020.
- In the following Majors: BIO, CHEM, CS, ES, HS, PHY: Students receive a B.A. or B.S. degree. Traditionally, the College has been counting the two degree programs as one Major.
- B.A. in Economics and B.S. in Mathematical Economics are counted as two Majors.
- Suhua received 39 responses to the FOTW quiz posted last Thursday (Results). Thanks to those who took the quiz/survey.
Data Source
- Office of Institutional Analysis, Office of the Registrar, and Jack Ryan.
-
Today's Fact of the Week posting is in a different format...It's a quiz. You are invited to participate and help determine the Fact.
Fact:
How many Majors does the College currently offer? (Part I)
Take this Quiz (closed) to contribute you answer to the question above. (Quiz/Survey closed on August 10,2023.)
You will also see a few survey questions.
Footnote
- I will share the Answer and the aggregated responses next Thursday.
-
Many of you have visited the Outcomes Dashboard, which was created by the Office of Institutional Analysis and launched in April 2022. I recently added new some content--a Word Cloud for Employment Industry. The following statistics are based on Employment Industry data displayed on the dashboard.
Fact:
Among Gettysburg 2019-2021 graduates who were employed within one year after graduating from the College, the top 6 Employment Industries were:
Employment Industry %
Banking/Financial Services/Insurance
20.2%
Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals
11.2%
Education
10.6%
Government/Public Policy/Military
9.6%
Technology
9.1%
Non-Profit/Social Services
8.0%
Subtotal above (6 Industries combined):
68.7%
The remaining 12 Industries (e.g., Consulting)
31.3%
Footnote
- Based on three graduating classes: 2019, 2020, 2021 (students who graduated during the period from August 2018 to May 2021). On the dashboard, you can select other graduating class(es) to find out the patterns.
- Thanks to Marc Goldman and Chris Bloom Ford at the Center for Career Engagement for categorizing the employers by Industry. In total, 18 Industries were represented.
- If you want to know the % of other industries, please let me know and I will send you the detailed table.
- A small percentage of graduates self-reported as being employed, but did not provide employer information. Therefore, what is displayed on the dashboard is a very large sample for a graduating class, not the population.
- The dashboard displays post-graduation placement of 9 graduating classes (2013-2021). Class of 2022 placement statistics will be available at a later date. The Employer List and Graduate School list are pre-sorted. You can do your own custom sorting (by selecting "Alphabetic" under the custom sorting icon located in the middle of the top row. Remember to use the scrollbars. Glossary and other technical explanations for the dashboard can be found by clicking the blue circle with a Question Mark on the top right corner of the dashboard (There is a weblink located at the bottom.)
Data Source
- Office of Institutional Analysis; Center for Career Engagement
-
Fact:
As of this morning:
Among the students in the Fall 2022 entering cohort who are still enrolled (rising sophomores), 61 percent have declared a Major in Peoplesoft.
(This percentage is considerably higher than that of the Fall 2021 entering cohort at similar point in time-- 57%, posted on July 7, 2022).
How about those 42 students who were part of the Fall 2022 entering cohort but are no longer enrolled?
- A substantially lower percentage of them (about 20%) had declared a Major (in PeopleSoft) by the time of their departure, similar to the pattern in previous years.
Footnote
- It is possible that some students may have made up their mind about choosing a Major but did not officially declare in PeopleSoft.
- Students have until the end of their sophomore year to declare a major.
Data Source
- Suhua's analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft on the morning of July 6, 2023
-
Today’s posting is also about our May 2023 graduates. The 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey included a question: "To what extent has your experience at Gettysburg College contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas?" 13 areas were listed.
Fact:
International Students, Domestic Students of Color (DSOC; as a combined group), and Domestic White Students in our 2023 graduating class reported similar gains in 10 of the 13 areas listed. Statistically significant mean differences were found on Critical Thinking, Effective Speaking, and Ethical Reasoning---Our International Students reported larger gains in Critical Thinking and Effective Speaking compared with our DSOC. They also reported larger gains in Ethical Reasoning compared with our Domestic White Students.
The table below displays the percentages of students who reported substantial gains in those 3 areas:
International Students
Domestic Students of Color
Critical Thinking
100%
84%
Effective Speaking
96%
72%
Ethical Reasoning
96%
81%
Footnote
- The survey question used a 4-point rating scale: Very little (1)—Some (2)—Quite a bit (3)—Very much (4). Displayed in the table above are the combined percentages of “Quite a bit" and “Very much” (interpreted as substantial gains).
- These 13 learning outcomes are called "Essential Learning Outcomes", developed by AAC&U.
- 25 International Students, 98 Domestic Students of Color, and 376 Domestic White Students were included in the analysis of variance.
- These results were based on student self-reports (perceived gains), not based on criterion-referenced
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of our students' responses to the 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (Overall survey response rate: 95%).
-
Today's posting is about the learning outcomes of our May 2023 graduates. The 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey included a question: "To what extent has your experience at Gettysburg College contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas?" 13 areas were listed.
Fact:
Over 80 percent or close to 80 percent of our May 2023 graduates reported that their experience at Gettysburg College has substantially contributed to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in 12 out of the 13 areas listed.
(64% reported so on civic engagement.)
The table below shows the average score (on a 4-point rating scale) by item, in descending order:
Learning Outcome Gettysburg Mean
Critical Thinking
3.44
Information Literacy
3.38
Integrative Thinking
3.36
Effective Writing
3.35
Problem Solving
3.31
Careful Reading
3.29
Quantitative Literacy
3.24
Creative Thinking
3.20
Ethical Reasoning
3.20
Effective Speaking
3.18
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence
3.15
Teamwork
3.14
Civic Engagement
2.85
Footnote
- *The survey question used a 4-point rating scale: Very little (1)—Some (2—Quite a bit (3)—Very much (4). The combined % of “Quite a bit" and “Very much” was interpreted as “substantially”.
- Critical Thinking has consistently been the Top area of growth for our students. Civic Engagement has consistently been the area where our students reported the least growth. This pattern has been the same with our peers (which also participated in the HEDS survey).
- These 13 learning outcomes are called "Essential Learning Outcomes", developed by AAC&U.
- These results were based on student self-reports (perceived gains), not based on criterion-referenced tests.
- No peer results for this year. But our 2021 results compared favorably on intellectual outcomes overall.
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of our students' self-reports on the 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (Overall survey response rate: 95% or 502 respondents).
-
In literature on college student development, one of the commonly used engagement indicators is discussions with diverse others, such as students from different backgrounds (racial/ethnic, economic, political, religious, etc.).
What is the religious diversity of our May 2023 graduates?
Fact:
The 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey included a question: "Please indicate your current religious preference", followed by nearly 20 response options listed alphabetically. Student responses, summarized below, indicate the religious diversity of this graduating class.
Percent of the graduating class
Agnostic
12.0%
Atheist
9.5%
Christian:
52.9%
Lutheran
3.5%
Presbyterian
3.0%
Other Christian*
14.8%
Roman Catholic
31.6%
Jewish
4.6%
None
15.9%
Other religion(s)/belief(s)**
5.1%
Total:
100.0%
*This is a combined %, which is the sum of other Christian groups, e.g., Baptist, Church of Christ, Eastern Orthodox, Episcopalian, Methodist, etc.; each of them was less than 3%.
**This is also a combined %, which is the sum of Hindu, Muslim, and other religion(s)/belief(s).
I used combined percentages here for privacy reasons--the number of respondents is small for some subgroups.
Footnote
- The survey also provided a response option: "Prefer not to respond" (n=64); these 64 students, along with 5 students who skipped this question, were excluded from analysis. The denominator used in calculating the percentages above: 433.
- This was a newly added supplemental question to the survey.
- Response options used on the survey were adopted from a national instrument: The CIRP Freshman Survey.
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of students' responses to the 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (Overall survey response rate: 95% or 502 respondents).
-
Fact:
When asked, “Overall, how satisfied have you been with your undergraduate education at Gettysburg College”: Among Gettysburg’s May 2023 graduating seniors,
--84 percent of the International Students and Domestic Students of Color (as a combined group) reported “satisfied” or “very satisfied”. No statistically significant difference was found between this combined group and the Domestic White Students.
--On this variable, no statistically significant difference was found between first-generation students and continuing-generation students either.
Footnote
- Response options for the survey question (a 5-point rating scale): Very dissatisfied—Dissatisfied—Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied—Satisfied—Very satisfied. Note that the tests for statistical differences used means.
- International status and race/ethnicity of domestic students were based on student self-reports on the survey; about 20 students checked “Prefer not to respond” and I used their info in PeopleSoft.
- 25 International Students and 98 Domestic Students of Color (DSOC) were included in the combined group mentioned above. I also compared 3 separate groups (International; DSOC; Domestic White) and found that International Students reported a significantly higher level of overall satisfaction (96% reporting "satisfied" or "very satisfied") than DSOC; there was no statistically significant difference between DSOC and Domestic White students.
- 110 first-generation students were included in the analysis. (As I explained in my 05/23/2023 posting, our institutional definition for "first-generation college student" is: Neither parent had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher at the time of the survey).
- This year, very few of our peers participated in the HEDS survey. No peer results are available at this point. Based on the 2021 survey (and earlier surveys), Gettysburg was similar to the peer group on graduating seniors' overall satisfaction.
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of students' responses to the 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (survey response rate: 95%).
-
Fact:
Among our May 2023 graduates, 22 percent were first-generation college students (i.e., Neither parent held a bachelor’s degree or higher at the time of the survey).
Footnote
- Years ago, the College adopted a definition of “first-generation college student”: a student from a family where neither parent holds at least a bachelor's degree. The Office of Institutional Analysis has been using this definition for reporting purposes.
- 22 percent = 110 out of 497 survey respondents.
Data Source
- Suhua's analyses of student self-reports on the 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (survey response rate: 95%; there might be a few first-generation students who were part of this graduating class but did not take the survey).
-
Fact:
Gettysburg College 2023 graduating seniors were asked: Who became your mentor(s) during your years at Gettysburg College? (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.) (Mark all that apply). 93.3 percent of our seniors reported they have had a mentor at the College. The remaining 6.7 percent (n=33) reported "No one". The top 3 sources of mentoring:
- 79 percent reported professor(s);
- 54 percent reported fellow student(s);
- 44 percent reported administrator(s) or support staff member(s). (This represents a notable increase compared with the pre-pandemic results)
Footnote
- The definition of Mentor displayed on the survey (see above) was developed by a number of College administrators years ago.
- Pre-analysis data screening took me hours......Those who took the survey twice, or who mis-spelled their email address were manually addressed. etc.
- A total of 7 response options were listed on the survey, including "Other" (Please specify). 22 students typed info in the text box under "Other". I manually checked and categorized "Other" responses.
Data Source
- 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (All May 2023 graduating seniors were invited to take the survey. The survey was open from April 14, 2023 to May 13, 2023; response rate was about 95%--A researcher's dream. A full report of results will be available in late summer or fall.)
-
Dear reader,
There is a Bonus Fact for today, put together by Shubh Parekh, student worker at the Office of Institutional Analysis. Shubh is an international student majoring in ECON and will be graduating this May.
Congratulations on your upcoming commencement, Shubh. Thank you for all of your hard work!
Fact:
The College provides a lot of opportunities for students to be involved in High-Impact Practices (HIPs). Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, among the anticipated May 2023 graduates:
- 84 percent reported having participated in community service during their time at the College;
- 76 percent reported having had internships (paid or unpaid);
- Both of these rates above are similar to the pre-pandemic (i.e., 2019) rate;
- 60 percent reported having worked with faculty on research, the highest rate since our office started to track this statistic.
Additionally, among the entire 2023 graduating class (August and December 2022 graduates & anticipated May 2023 graduates), 35 percent have studied abroad. (Study abroad programs across the country were seriously affected by the pandemic.)
Footnote
- Listed above are some examples of HIPs. The list is not meant to be exhaustive.
- Study abroad % was based on objective institutional records; the other percentages were based on student self-reports on a survey.
- Historical HIPs statistics: Detail - Gettysburg.edu
Data Sources
- Suhua's analyses of the 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey data downloaded last night. A big thank you to my colleagues for helping with boosting the response rate: Erin Aumen and her colleagues working on the Commencement Prep, Michael Kotlinski at the Bookstore, and Don and Paul at IT. Of course, a big thank you also to our graduating seniors for taking the survey.
- Center for Global Education staff who provided the study abroad records. Thank you, Steph and Jesse.
------------------------------------
Bonus Fact (Some of the following statistics were revised on September 22, 2023):
During the Fall 2022 semester, 645 (full-time: 3; part-time: 642) students were enrolled in the new online graduate program: MA in American History. In the Spring 2023 semester, 618 (full-time: 5; part-time: 613) students are enrolled in the program (female: 56%; male: 44%).
Footnote
- Some students graduated this past December.
- Unduplicated headcount of students over this two-semester period is not available at this point.
- On 09/21/2023, the Registrar's Office sent out a revised report of graduate student enrollment for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters: Fall 2022 enrollment of part-time graduate students was revised to 642 (original report: 610); Spring 2023 enrollment of part-time graduate students was revised to 613 (the original report: 611). On 09/22/2023, Suhua made updates on this FOTW based on the Registrar's revised report.
Data Sources
- Fall 2022 data: IPEDS Fall 2022 Enrollment (reported to IPEDS by our Registrar Mr. Brian Reese. Thank you, Mr. Reese.)
- Spring 2023 data: provided by our Registrar
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Today's posting is Part II of the posting on April 13. How did Gettysburg compare with other liberal arts colleges in terms of undergraduate on-campus employment?Note that Gettysburg's number for the 2022-23 academic year (AY) was updated (changed from 37% to 38%) on June 21, 2023, based on the full academic year student employment data.
Fact:
Gettysburg College compared favorably with many other leading liberal arts colleges in terms of opportunities for undergraduates to work on campus. During the 2021-22 AY, the percentage of our student working on campus was higher than the average of a peer group.
Table. Percentage of full-time undergraduates working on campus during the ……academic year:
2021-22 AY
2022-23 AY
Gettysburg
36%
38%
Peer Group (10 colleges; see below):
Average
34% N/A
Median
34%
N/A
Range
23% - 44%
N/A Footnote
-
For Gettysburg, Leadership Roles (Assistant Residential Life Coordinators, Residence Coordinators, Community Advisors, House Leaders, or Resident Assistants) were not included. If we also include these positions, then both of our percentages would be about one percentage point higher. Fellowships were not included either. See my explanation in the posting on April 13, 2023.
- Peer Group: I searched 29 leading private liberal arts colleges (which are not located in the west coast or in rural settings), 10 of which reported their data (to a US News survey last year). These 10 colleges are: Colgate, Bucknell, Colby, Colorado, Macalester, Skidmore, Lafayette, Union, Dickinson, Rhodes.
- For many students, on-campus employment is a kind of internship, which is among the High-Impact Practices (HIPs) based on national research. Based on my own previous research, on-campus employment has a significant, positive effect on students' career path preparation.
Data Sources
-
Gettysburg’s 2021-22 number: provided by Missy Grimsley (HR Information Systems Manager). Thank you, Missy.
- Gettysburg 2022-23 number: Please see the posting on April 13, 2023.
- Peer group statistics: US News website (National Liberal Arts Colleges). (Percentages for the 2022-23 AY will be available later in the fall.)
-
-
Fact:
During the 2022-23 academic year (AY; fall and spring semester combined), on average, students in the first-year class (Fall 2022 entering cohort) took 8.13 course units.
The table below displays details:
Total attempted course units (two semesters combined)
Lowest
6
Highest
11.75
Mean
8.13
Median
8 Distribution:
Total attempted course units (two semesters combined)
Number of students
Percentage
Below 8
13 2.1% 8
504
81.3%
8.25, 8.5 or 8.75
48
7.7% 9, 9.25, 9.5 or 9.75
47
7.6% 10 or more
8
1.3% Total:
620
100% Footnote
-
Only first-year students who stay enrolled in both fall 2022 and spring 2023 are included in the analyses.
- Total attempted course units include courses from which students withdrew before the deadline (last day to withdraw from classes with Grade of "W")
Data Source
-
Suhua's analyses of course enrollment data downloaded from PeopleSoft
-
-
The following statistics were updated on June 21, 2023, based on the full academic year student employment data--The percent in the original posting was as of the pay period ending on March 24, 2023; 20 new student employees were added after that date and the current percent was as of the pay period ending on May 19, 2023.
Fact:
The College provides abundant opportunities for students to work on campus to apply their skills and help pay their college expenses. During the 2022-23 academic year, approximately 906 students (unduplicated headcount) were employed on campus, representing 38 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Important caveat: The total above: 906, only includes students who were employed by the College during the fall 2022 and/or spring 2023 semester(s). It does not include Leadership Roles (including Assistant Residential Life Coordinators, Residence Coordinators, Community Advisors, House Leaders, or Resident Assistants, undergraduate students organized by the Office of Residential Education) who were not on the Student Employee lists provided by the Payroll Office. If we also include these positions, then the total is 942 students, or 39 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Additionally, the College offers many Fellowship opportunities for students across campus which provide research and activities to develop skills and aid in a student’s pursuit of study or research that will help them gain knowledge and experience to apply in a professional field of interest. The total number of fellowships is not available at this time.
Footnote
- Numerator for the percentage (38%) is based on a file containing Student Employee payroll records provided by the Payroll Office. Thank you, Nicole and Helen. 906 Student Employees were paid for at least one pay period during the 202-23 AY (two semesters). Records were as of the pay period ending on May 19, 2023.
- The lists of students in Leadership Roles were provided by Residential Education. Thank you, Michele.
- The denominator for the percentages is the total unduplicated headcount (N=2406) of undergraduate students enrolled in Fall 2022 or/and Spring 2023. This means, they were on the official census enrollment list(s) for one or two semesters. I included only degree-seeking students. I excluded 10 students who study off-campus (global study or in dual-degree program) during both semesters.
- According to the latest 5-yr-out alumni survey results, on-campus employment was among the Top 4 most impactful undergraduate experiences in terms of the positive impact on students’ learning and personal development.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analyses of Student Employee payroll data, census enrollment data, and lists of Leadership Roles provided by Residential Education. (A total of 22 Excel worksheets were used in analyses.)
-
Fact:
Compared with the 2013 graduating class (about 10 years ago), the share of students who completed a Major in Natural Sciences, Computer Science, or Mathematics has increased.
Graduating Class Of all the Majors completed by a graduating class, what percent were in Natural Sciences, Computer Science, or Mathematics?
2013
28.8% (N=213)
2022
35.1% (N=268)
Footnote
-
From 213 to 268: This represents a 26 percent increase.
- From 28.8% to 35.1%: This represents an increase of 6.3 percentage points.
- The year-over-year change during this 10-year period was not always in a linear fashion.
- Psychology Majors were included in the category. Please see the details.
- The denominator for the percentage is the total number of Majors completed by a graduating class, not the total unduplicated headcount of individuals. For example, the 2022 graduating class had a total of 640 students (unduplicated headcount); they completed a total of 764 Majors (sum of first majors and second majors; i e., double majors were counted twice); 268 students completed a Major in Natural Sciences, Computer Science, or Mathematics; 268/764=35.1%. This method of calculating the percentage is in consistency with the method used by the Common Data Set (section J1). Of course, you can also use the total unduplicated headcount as the denominator—Be aware that the annual percentage point change using these two methods may not always be in the same direction, depending on the annual change in the proportion of double majors.
- It is possible that the COVID-19 pandemic might have affected a student’s major choice or academic progress. I am curious to see the statistics for the 2023 graduating class. Will post again later in the summer on this topic.
- I am presenting this Fact as descriptive information. All disciplines contribute to our shared understanding of humanity and society.
Data Source
(Reminder: You can download a dashboard view by clicking the Download icon located on the bottom right of the web page. Note that this dashbaord may not be tablet-friendly.)
-
-
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 percent 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 one 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 and Page 49 of the 2022-23 Fact Book.
-
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 percent 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
-
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
-
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.
-
-
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 Source
- The interactive dashboard: https://www.gettysburg.edu/offices/institutional-research/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.
-
During the 2021-22 Academic Year, 640 students graduated from Gettysburg College with a bachelor’s degree. Nationally, among the Class of 2022 who received a baccalaureate, what percentage received it from a liberal arts college?
Fact:
During the 2021-22 Academic Year, of all students receiving a baccalaureate degree(s) from US institutions (Public, Private not-for-profit, Private for-profit), 3.5% were from liberal arts colleges.
Footnote
- As 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 at 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). 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
-
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 percent 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 percent 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
-
Fact:
In Fall 2022, 27 percent of the full-time faculty were Domestic Persons of Color or International; 8 percent of the full-time administrators and 11 percent 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.
- There was no international person among administrators or support staff in Fall 2022.
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.)
-
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 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!
-
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
-
Page 44 and Page 41 of our 2022-23 Fact Book
-
-
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
-
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 Source
-
Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft yesterday afternoon (Jan. 25)
-
-
Fact:
- 16 percent 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 percent 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.
Data Source
- Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft yesterday afternoon.
2022
-
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 Source
- Suhua’s analysis of faculty workload data provided by our Registrar Brian Reese (Thank you to Brian for providing the data file)
-
Fact:
In Fall 2022, 21 percent (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
-
How did I get the 21% above? 495 divided by 2,373.
-
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 percent 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).
-
-
Last time, I posted Gettysburg College's 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
-
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
-
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)
-
Gettysburg College 2022-23 Fact Book
-
-
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), at 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
-
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
-
2022-23 Fact Book
-
Gettysburg Fall 2015 cohort graduation rates submitted to IPEDS
- Suhua’s analysis of Fall 2016 cohort status data
- NCES Digest of Educational Statistics
-
-
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
-
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 has 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
-
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%).
-
-
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
-
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 had 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
-
Fact:
88 percent 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
-
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
-
Gettysburg College 2022-23 Fact Book
-
NCAA research reports published on its website: 2013 Cohort; 2014 Cohort (Their reports are not easy to read. Be careful about the technical terms.)
-
-
Fact:
In Fall 2022, 30 percent of Gettysburg’s undergraduate student body (full-time, degree-seeking) are Domestic Students of Color (22%) or International (8%); this combined percent is the highest in the College’s history.
The percent 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
-
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 decades, every fall, we had/have a small percent 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 to compare with our peers. Previously, I used the IPEDS 12-month enrollment (not IPEDs Fall Enrollment) data 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
-
Gettysburg College Fact Book (internal link; the entire 2022-23 Fact Book will be published at the end of Oct. or in early Nov.)
-
-
Fact:
36 percent of Gettysburg’s Fall 2022 first-year class are Domestic Students of Color (23%; 150/644) or International (13%; 85/644); this combined percent is the highest in the College history.
The percent 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 here only includes 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 2021 entering 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, 81percent ~ 85 percent 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's 2020-2022 graduating classes (combined), 63 percent were women, 37 percent 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 percent 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.
-
Fact Book (previous graduating classes)
-
-
Fact:
During the 2021-22 academic year, 602 or 23.9 percent of the student body were student-athletes (364 men; 238 women).
Footnote
- Cheerleaders were not included in the count above.
- Student-athletes graduated at a higher rate than other students.
Data Source
- Athletics Department/2021-22 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: 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: Fact Book
-
-
Fact:
At the beginning of their 1st semester at the College, 24 percent 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 percent of Gettysburg freshmen responding “Yes”, as well as percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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
-
The Top 50 liberal arts colleges group actually includes 53 schools (as 4 schools tied for #50), based on the US News Best Colleges rankings 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 percent of double majors changed from 19.3% (in the initial posting) to 19.2%.]
-
Gettysburg Classes of 2017-2021: Fact Book
-
Data on other liberal arts colleges: Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from IPEDS. 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 percent 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 descriptive information, not evaluative in any way.
Data Sources
- Class of 2022: Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft
- Classes of 2019-2021: Fact Book
-
Fact:
When asked, “Overall, how satisfied have you been with your undergraduate education at this institution?”, 83 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 percent responded “No one”. In other words, 91 percent 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 Sources
- 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 Sources
- 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.)
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Fact:
21 percent (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
- Page 26 of the 2021-22 Gettysburg College Fact Book
- Page 34 of the 2021-22 Gettysburg College Fact Book
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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 percent 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 percent of the 2016 graduating class are employed or attending graduate school; about 45 percent 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!"
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Fact:
When asked about their highest degree aspirations, 80 percent 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 percent 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.