Fact of the Week

The Office of Institutional Analysis 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 contextual information 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 (3) support data-informed conversations and the enhancement of student experience.

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.

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 majoing 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 of 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 Sources
- Page 11B of the 2023-24 edition of the Fact Book.

Posting on March 28, 2024: ROI (Return on Investment) Rankings

Several organizations published 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 NPV	10-year NPV rank among liberal arts institutions	15-year NPV	15-year NPV rank among liberal arts institutions	20-year NPV	20-year NPV rank among liberal arts institutions	30-year NPV	30-year NPV rank among liberal arts institutions	40-year NPV	40-year NPV rank among liberal arts institutions
2022 Study	$136,000	#29	$397,000	#28	$632,000	#33	$1,039,000	#32	$1,372,000	#32
2019 Study	$84,000	#50	$305,000	#40	$505,000	#36	$851,000	#33	$1,135,000	#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 enrollment). 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+). I used the 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 entire list in Excel for each year, 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

Georgetown Univ. Center on Education and the Workforce.

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.

Posting on February 29, 2024: Latest 4-yr Graduation Rate, and a Bonus Fact

There is a Bonus Fact today.

When the COVID-19 Pandemic broke out, the Fall 2019 entering cohort were in the middle of their 1^st spring semester. The negative effects of this severe disruption during their 1^st and 2^nd 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% 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

Please click here to read more.

Data Source

Thanks to Mike Mattia (Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation) for providing this Bonus Fact!

Posting on February 22, 2024: Fall to Spring Term Retention Rate Improved

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 Sources

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% 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%. (According to the NACE or National Association of Colleges and Employers, institutions should strive for a minimum knowledge rate of 65 percent.)
- 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 Source
- 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.

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% of the (undergraduate) student body at the College self-identified as Lutheran (when starting at the College). In Fall 1960, 36% 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.

Posting on December 15, 2023: Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients in Our Fall 2023 First-Year Class and Undergraduate Student Body

Fact:

In Fall 2023,

23% (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% (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 Source
- Page 38 of our 2023-24 Fact Book
- NCES Digest of Educational Statistics
Fact:

In Fall 2023, 27.6% of our undergraduate student body (641/2324) are student-athletes (Fall 2022: 25.9%).

Footnote
- In Fall 2023, among female students: 22.7% 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.

Posting on November 16, 2023: Race/Ethnicity of our Fall 2023 Full-time Employees

Fact:

In Fall 2023, 26% of our full-time faculty are domestic persons of color or international; 9% of our full-time administrators and 12% 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 Source

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 38^th among all liberal arts colleges based on this total;
- 165 earned a doctorate in Psychology; for this academic discipline, Gettysburg is ranked 41^st 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 Source
- 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 43^rd 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 50^th 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 50^th 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 Source
- 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

Posting on October 5, 2023: Latest First-Year Retention Rate

Fact:

90% of our Fall 2022 entering cohort are enrolled in classes in the fall 2023 semester. Based on the latest two years' data available, 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)

	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	90.6%	88.6%	90%

Like schools:
Connecticut College	86.1%	87.2%	87%
Denison Univ.	87.4%	90.4%	89%
Dickinson College	92.4%	88.8%	89%
Franklin and Marshall College	91.1%	87.8%	85%
Lawrence Univ.	88.6%	87.5%	87%
Union College.	91.4%	89.0%	89%
Like group average (6 schools above)	89.5%	88.4%

Diff. between Gettysburg and the Like group average	+1.1%	+0.1%

Average of all private liberal arts colleges (200 schools)	81.2%	80.8%

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 is not available at this point, as the exact numbers of individuals for the numerator and denominator are not available for the like schools. Once they become available, the Like Group Average for this cohort will be posted.

Data Sources

Detail - Gettysburg.edu
Suhua's analysis of IPEDS data downloaded on Oct. 5, 2023. Note that the IPEDS data for the Fall 2021 Entering Cohort are preliminary. Total number of private liberal arts colleges in the dataset: 200.
Peer school websites

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 Sources
- 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% (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 Sources
- 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 Sources
- 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 Sources
- Office of Institutional Analysis/NSSE

Posting on August 31, 2023: Percentage of Double Majors in the Graduating Class & Peer Comparisons

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 2^nd and 3^rd major completed by each triple major would be both reported under the 2^nd 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 2^nd 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 1^st 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.

Posting on August 24, 2023: Impact of Textbook Cost on Student Academic Experience

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% 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 Source

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% 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.
Sources
- 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 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.

Posting on July 27, 2023: Post-Graduation Placement: Employment Industries of Recent Graduating Classes

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% 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%).

Posting on June 22, 2023: Impact of College Experience on Our May 2023 Graduates: Knowledge and Enduring Skills

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% or close to 80% 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).

Posting on June 15, 2023: Religious Diversity in the 2023 Graduating Class

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% 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% 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.
Data Sources
- Suhua's analyses of student self-reports on the 2023 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (survey response rate: 95%).
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% of our seniors reported they have had a mentor at the College. The remaining 6.7% (n=33) reported "No one". The top 3 sources of mentoring:
- 79% reported professor(s);
- 54% reported fellow student(s);
- 44% 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% reported having participated in community service during their time at the College;
- 76% reported having had internships (paid or unpaid);
- Both of these rates above are similar to the pre-pandemic (i.e., 2019) rate;
- 60% 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% 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
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.)

Posting on April 20, 2023: Total Course Units Taken by First-Year Students in 2022-23 AY

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 % 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 % 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% 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% 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 Sources
- 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
- Interactive Dashboard: Graduating Class by Major & Sex
(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% 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.

Posting on March 16, 2023: Students who Completed Two Majors and At Least One Minor

As we anticipate the commencement for the 2023 graduating class with excitement, I would like to post further statistics on student achievement with regard to program completions. On July 14, 2022, I posted the % of double majors in the Gettysburg 2022 graduating class and historical trends. Let’s delve further into this topic. How many of these double majors also completed at least one minor?

Fact:

In the Gettysburg 2022 graduating class, 50 students (or 8%) completed two Majors and at least one Minor (including 13 students or 2% who completed two Majors and two Minors).

The table below displays details as well as statistics for a pre-pandemic graduating class:

Number of Students who Completed…	Class of 2019			Class of 2022
	N	%	Notes	N	%	Notes
Two Majors & two Minors	6	1%	including a triple Minor	13	2%
Two Majors & one Minor	32	5%		37	6%
Two Majors & no Minor	73	12%		73	11%	including a triple Major
One Major & two Minors	56	9%	including three triple minors	83	13%	including three triple Minors
One Major & one Minor	254	42%		262	41%
One Major & no Minor	190	31%		172	27%
Total	611	100%		640	100%

Footnote

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 Sources
- The interactive dashboard: https://www.gettysburg.edu/offices/institutional-analysis/interactive-dashboards/degree-by-major-gender
  - On the dashboard, ECON (BA) and Math ECON (BS) majors are displayed as two separate majors (upon request of the Econ dept. when the dashboard was created).
  - There is a sorting feature in the table. Move the cursor to the header—2022; click the Sort icon and numbers will be displayed for the 2022 graduating class in descending order. (It may take several clicks to do the trick). You can sort each graduating class to get the top majors by gender. I attached a photo showing the Sort icon.
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% of the student body. Since then, overall, the proportion has been growing (albeit not always in a linear fashion). In Fall 2022, among domestic undergraduates (full-time, degree-seeking), there were 110 Black or African American students, representing 4.6% of the undergraduate student body.

Important caveat: Since Fall 2014, in accordance with the IPEDS/federal reporting requirement, the College started to report statistics of a new reporting category: Two or More Races. In Fall 2022, there were 69 domestic undergraduates who reported two or more races, some of whom marked Black or African American and another race(s)--Prior to the implementation of this new federal reporting requirement, most of these students would have been counted as Black or African American. In other words, because of the change in data collection and reporting method, the two proportions above (1.0% and 4.6%) are not entirely comparable.

Footnote
- The statistics above are based on domestic students only (US citizens or US permanent residents). We also have international students from Africa—those are not included.
- Occasionally, we had one (e.g., in Fall 2022) or a few (domestic) Black or African American students who were part-time or special students (non-degree-seeking). They are not included above.
Data Sources
- The 1990-1991 edition of the College Fact Book--the oldest print copy I could find in the Office which displays student race/ethnicity statistics.
- Page 46 of the 2022-23 Fact Book
Fact:

In Fall 2022, 27% of the full-time faculty were Domestic Persons of Color or International; 8% of the full-time administrators and 11% of the full-time support staff were Domestic Persons of Color.

Footnote
- Headcount was based on the HR data at a specific point in the fall—those on the payroll as of November 1, 2022, in consistency with the IPEDS reporting guidelines.
- 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 51^st 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

Posting on January 26, 2023: Average Semester GPA of the First-Year Class for Fall 2022

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 Sources

Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft yesterday afternoon (Jan. 25)

Fact:
- 16% of the first-year class (i.e., Fall 2022 entering cohort members who are still enrolled) have declared a major (as recorded in PeopleSoft);
- 76% of the sophomore class (i.e., Fall 2021 entering cohort members who are still enrolled) have declared a major (as recorded in PeopleSoft).
Footnote
- % were based on data as of yesterday afternoon.
- According to here, students have until the end of their sophomore year to declare a major.
- Based on my data analysis of the Fall 2021 entering cohort, among those who left the College, there were a disproportionately large number of students who were undeclared--Approximately 35% had declared a major at the time of their departure. Note: I am not suggesting cause-effect here. Based on student self-reports on a survey (part of my previous retention research in Fall 2019 and Spring 2022), "Pursue an academic major/program not offered at Gettysburg" was one of the common reasons for voluntary withdrawal, but it was not among the Top 5 reasons (based on student self-reports). But the gap (76% vs. 35%) is striking nonetheless.
- It is possible that some students have made up their mind about choosing a Major but have not officially declared in PeopleSoft.
Source
- Suhua’s analysis of data downloaded from PeopleSoft yesterday afternoon.
Fact:

In Fall 2022, the average undergraduate class size is 18 (same as in Fall 2021).

Footnote
- Student-Faculty ratio and percentages of class sections (e.g., % of classes with fewer than 20 students) will be available at a later date.
Data Sources
- Suhua’s analysis of faculty workload data provided by our Registrar Brian Reese (Thank you to Brian for providing the data file)
Fact:

In Fall 2022, 21% (N=495) of our undergraduate student body (full-time, degree-seeking students) are Pell grant recipients. Over the years, the % has been steadily increasing, demonstrating the College’s commitment to access and affordability.

Nuances
- 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% 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
- Fast Facts
- 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).

Posting on December 1, 2022: 6-yr Graduation Rate by Gender: Gettysburg Compared with Peers

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

Posting on November 10, 2022: College Impact on the 2022 Graduating Class

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%).

Posting on November 3, 2022: Latest First-Year Retention and 6-yr Graduation Rates of Pell Recipients

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

Posting on October 20, 2022: Student-Athletes’ 6-yr Graduation Rates: Comparisons

Fact:

88% of the Gettysburg student-athletes in the Fall 2016 entering cohorts graduated from Gettysburg within 6 years, notably higher than that of the overall cohort.

The table below displays multi-year results and how Gettysburg compares with the NCAA Division III Overall:

Entering cohort	Gettysburg		NCAA Division III Overall
	Student-athletes	Cohort Overall	Student-athletes	Cohort Overall
2016 Cohort	88%	82%	N/A	N/A
2015 Cohort	85%	82%	N/A	N/A
2014 Cohort	87%	85%	70%	68%
2013 Cohort	86%	81%	68%	66%

Footnote

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.)

Posting on October 13, 2022: Racial/Ethnic Diversity of the Student Body: Historical Comparisons

Fact:

In Fall 2022, 30% of Gettysburg’s undergraduate student body (full-time, degree-seeking) are Domestic Students of Color (22%) or International (8%); this combined % is the highest in the College’s history.

The % of International students is also the highest in the College’s history.

The table below displays details and historical comparisons:

Full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates in the Fall of

2012

2021

2022

% of Domestic Students of Color

10%

(N=280)

21%

(N=539)

22%

(N=526)

% of International Students

(N=48)

(N=123)

(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 % 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.)

Posting on October 6, 2022: Racial/Ethnic Diversity of the First-Year Class: Gettysburg Compared with Peers

Fact:

36% of Gettysburg’s Fall 2022 first-year class are Domestic Students of Color (23%; 150/644) or International (13%; 85/644); this combined % is the highest in the College history.

The % of International students is also the highest in the College history.

The table below displays how Gettysburg first-year class compared nationally and with select peers on racial/ethnic diversity 10 years ago and based on latest data available (2021):

First-year class entering in the fall of …		2012	2021	2022
% of Domestic Students of Color:
	Gettysburg	11%	24%	23%
	Average of Select Peers (13 schools)	18%	23%	N/A
	National Average of All Liberal Arts Colleges	29%	34%	N/A
% of International Students:
	Gettysburg	2%	5%	13%
	Average of Select Peers (13 schools)	7%	9%	N/A
	National Average of All Liberal Arts Colleges	5%	6%	N/A
Combined % of Domestic Students of Color & International:
	Gettysburg	13%	30%	36%
	Average of Select Peers (13 schools)	25%	32%	N/A
	National Average of All Liberal Arts Colleges	34%	40%	N/A

Footnote

First-year class 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, 81%~85% of an entering cohort graduated from Gettysburg within six years after entry.

How does this compare nationally? “In 2020, the overall 6-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time undergraduate students who began seeking a bachelor’s degree at 4-year degree-granting institutions in fall 2014 was 64 percent. That is, by 2020, some 64 percent of students had completed a bachelor’s degree at the same institution where they started in 2014……” (see Source below)

Footnote
- The great majority of students who left Gettysburg without a degree transferred to another institution. They left for personal and other reasons. When you hear people use the word “drop-out”, be very careful—leaving Gettysburg without a degree does not necessarily mean a student dropped out of college.
Data Sources
- Gettysburg’s 6-year graduation rate is included in our Fact Book
- National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Rates. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Fast Facts: Undergraduate graduation rates (40) (ed.gov)

Posting on September 8, 2022: Profile of Double Majors in the Recent Graduating Classes

Fact:

Among the double majors in Gettysburg College's 2020-2022 graduating classes (combined), 63% were women, 37% were men. Gettysburg women were more likely to be double majors than Gettysburg men.

The table below displays more details:

	Of the double majors (in these 3 graduating classes), what % were……?	Of the grand total (of these 3 graduating classes), what % were……?
Female	63%	55%
Male	37%	45%
International	5%	5%
Domestic Students of Color	18%	17%
Domestic White	74%	75%
Race/Ethnicity Unknown (Domestic)	2%	2%

Footnote

The 2022 graduating class included August and December 2021 graduates and May 2022 graduates. The same logic applies to other graduating classes.
This is intended as descriptive information, not evaluative.

Data Source

Suhua’s analyses of unit-record data downloaded from PeopleSoft.

Fact:

From 1966 to 2020, at least 1,249 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate; Gettysburg ranked 52nd among about 500 baccalaureate colleges.

Footnote
- “at least” was used above as the National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates is an annual census of all new recipients of research doctorates at U.S. academic institutions. It was possible that a few of our graduates may have obtained a research doctorate from a foreign university.
- Please read the Note on the Fact Book page to learn what degrees were included as Research Doctorate.
- 2021 statistics will be available this coming winter.
- Many of our graduates earned medical doctorates or law degrees. So far our Office (and other IR offices) has not found a good enough data source to compile statistics on these professional degrees. If you know of an excellent data source, please let me know.
Data Source
- Fact Book
Fact:

20% of the Class of 2022 (130 out of 640) studied abroad during their time at Gettysburg; this percentage is much lower than that of the previous classes because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The table below displays the study-abroad rates by graduating class, both the overall rate and the rate of domestic students of color:

Graduating Class

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

Domestic Students of Color

15%

49%

57%

44%

67%

Graduating Class Overall

20%

53%

57%

52%

55%

Footnote
- Class of 2022 includes August and December 2021 graduates and May 2022 graduates.
- At Gettysburg, most of those who studied abroad did so during their junior year. Most of the graduates in the Class of 2022 entered the College in Fall 2018; their junior year was the 2020-21 academic year; you all know what it was like back then—we were fully in the pandemic. It’s important to keep this context in mind. As Steph Rye at the Center for Global Education commented, “It is important to note that although our numbers for this graduating class are much smaller than normal, percentage wise, we are proud to be one of the few schools with such a strong commitment to global study that we continued to safely send students abroad throughout the pandemic.”
- Study-abroad is considered one of the high-impact practices (HIPs). When you cite study-abroad rate in HIPs-related messaging, please select a typical number and do not use this outlier: 20%. This statistic will be included in the upcoming 2022-23 edition of the Fact Book (with an *), as part of our collective memory of this unprecedented pandemic.
Data Sources
- The list of global-study students for the Class of 2022 was provided by the Center for Global Education; Suhua calculated the study-abroad rate of domestic students of color.
- Fact Book (previous graduating classes)
Fact:

During the 2021-22 academic year, 602 or 23.9% of the student body were student-athletes (364 men; 238 women).

Footnote
- 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

Posting on August 4, 2022: Most Popular Minors Completed by the Class of 2022

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 2^nd minor), divided by the total of minors completed by this graduating class (including minors completed as a 2^nd 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

Posting on July 28, 2022: Number of International Students in the Incoming First-Year Class

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

Posting on July 21, 2022: Proportion of Freshmen Reporting "Pre-Med" or "Pre-Law"

Fact:

At the beginning of their 1st semester at the College, 24% of the fall 2021 first-year students reported that they considered themselves Pre-Med, a noteworthy increase compared with the pre-COVID cohort--fall 2019 freshmen.

Survey Questions: "Do you consider yourself Pre-Med?" (Yes; No); "Do you consider yourself Pre-Law?" (Yes; No)

The table below displays 2015-2021 % of Gettysburg freshmen responding “Yes”, as well as % reported by freshmen in the Peer Group:

Freshmen in the fall of	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2021
Gettysburg:
Pre-Med	15%	17%	14%	17%	17%	24%
Pre-Law	11%	10%	10%	11%	13%	12%
Peer Group:
Pre-Med	18%	16%	16%	22%	17%	18%
Pre-Law	9%	8%	10%	9%	11%	12%

Footnote

Peer Group: Private/Nonsectarian 4yr Colleges - very high or high selectivity, e.g., Bates & Dickinson.
We did not receive our 2021 Peer Group data until mid-June 2022. There was a major delay in national data processing at UCLA HERI.
For the Fall 2021 Gettysburg percentage, the margin of error for the Pre-Med question was plus or minus 4; for the Pre-Law question, plus or minus 3.
At this point, it is impossible to know if the Gettysburg 2021 Pre-Med % was a blip.
We did not conduct the survey in fall 2020 due to the pandemic.

Data Source

Fall 2021 CIRP Freshman Survey: A Report of Select Results. Log-in required to access the full report. From August 31 to mid-September 2021, the Office of Institutional Analysis invited all of our new first-year students to take the survey. Approximately 35% of our students took it. This was the 1st time we conducted the survey on line. (In prior years, we used the paper surveys and the response rate had been over 90%.).For highlights of key results, visit: Fall 2021 CIRP Freshman Survey: Highlights
The survey instrument is here: Instruments and codebooks

Posting on July 14, 2022: % of Double Majors in the Class of 2022 and Historical Trends

Fact:

19.2% of the 2022 graduating class were double majors (including one student who was a triple major), the 2nd highest in the college history (recorded since Class of 1985--the earliest graduating class tracked by the Fact Book).

The table below displays historical trends for Gettysburg, 5 comparison schools, as well as group averages.

Graduating class	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Gettysburg	15%	15%	18%	19%	23%
Select comparison schools:
Connecticut	28%	26%	29%	29%	30%
Denison	23%	22%	22%	21%	24%
Dickinson	19%	25%	26%	28%	29%
Franklin & Marshall	12%	12%	13%	13%	18%
Union	11%	11%	11%	13%	10%
Average of Top 50 liberal arts colleges	19%	19%	20%	21%	21%
Gettysburg rank within Top 50 liberal arts colleges	34^th	35^th	32^nd	30^th	23^rd

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 2^nd major ranged from 0% (Soka Univ. of America & Thomas Aquinas College) to 49% (Williams College).
Class of 2022 included August and December 2021 graduates and May 2022 graduates. The same logic applies to other graduating classes.
Institutions vary in policies and requirements regarding declaring or completing a second major.
This is intended as descriptive information, not evaluative. Institutions vary in mission, values and curricular designs.

Data Sources

Gettysburg Class of 2022: Suhua’s analysis of data retrieved from PeopleSoft. [Note added on July 20: On July 19, 2022, the Registrar's Office added two back-dated May 2022 graduates; thus the % of double majors changed from 19.3% (in the initial posting) to 19.2%.]
Gettysburg Classes of 2017-2021: 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% 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

Posting on June 30, 2022: Most Popular Majors (Class of 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% of the international students and domestic students of color (as a combined group) in the 2022 graduating class reported “satisfied” or “very satisfied”. No statistically significant difference was found between this group and the domestic white students.

Combined % reporting "satisfied" or "very satisfied"

International & Domestic Students of Color (n=47)

83%

Domestic White (n=195)

83%

Overall

83%

Footnote
- Response option for the question: Very dissatisfied—Dissatisfied—Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied—Satisfied—Very satisfied.
Data Source
- 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey (survey launched on April 12; closed on May 13; response rate was around 45%. A full report of major findings will be available in the fall).
Fact:

Despite the disruptions of the pandemic, the College continued to provide impactful on-campus employment opportunities for many students. 75% of the 2022 graduating seniors reported that they had worked on campus (by the time of graduating from Gettysburg). These seniors were then asked to indicate the impact of this experience; 72% of them reported that on-campus employment had substantially contributed to their learning and personal development. Both of these percentages are similar to those of the 2019 and 2021 graduating classes. Based on the % of seniors reporting substantial impact, on-campus employment has consistently been among the top 5 high-impact experiences (along with study-abroad, etc.).

Footnote
- Survey Question on the impact of various (a total of 17) high-impact, co-curricular, or educationally enriching experiences: To what extent has your participation contributed to your learning and personal development? Rating Scale: Very little—Some—Quite a bit—Very much. The percentage displayed above—72%—is the combined % of those reporting “Quite a bit" and “Very much” (interpreted as substantially) (11% reported "Very little"; 17% reported "Some".)
Data Source
- 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey (survey launched on April 12; closed on May 13; response rate was around 45%. A full report of major findings will be available in the fall).
Dear colleagues: If you were/are a supervisor of a student worker on campus, pat yourself on the back!

Dear students: If you have worked or are working on campus, is this survey finding resonant with you?
Fact:

2022 graduating seniors were asked, “Who became your mentor(s) during your years at Gettysburg College?" (Mark all that apply)
- 79% reported professor(s);
- 49% reported fellow student(s);
- 39% reported administrator(s) or support staff member(s).
Only 9% responded “No one”. In other words, 91% of our seniors reported they have had a mentor at the College. This result is similar to pre-pandemic results.

Footnote
- The following definition (developed by a few college administrators years ago) was provided on the survey: “A mentor is defined as: a coach, guide, tutor, facilitator, counselor and trusted advisor who is willing to spend his or her time and expertise to guide your development during college.”
Data Source
- 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey (survey launched on April 12; closed on May 13; response rate was around 45%. A final report will be available in the fall)

Posting on May 19, 2022: Tuition Increase

Fact:

For the 2022-23 academic year, for a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate at Gettysburg, total charges (Tuition, Room and Board) (or sticker price) are $76,690, or an annual increase of 3.18 percent (+$2,360); our annual percent increase is lower than that of the following peers:

	2022-23 Tuition	2022-23 Total Charges (Tuition; Mandatory Fees; Room; Board)	Annual Percent Increase in Total Charges	2022-23 Total Charges: Peer Compared with Gettysburg
Haverford	$62,850	$81,330	4.62%	+$4,640
F&M	$65,652	$80,884	3.51%	+$4,194
Swarthmore	$58,928	$77,354	5.67%	+$664
Dickinson	$60,776	$77,264	4.47%	+$574
Bucknell	$61,408	$77,104	3.25%	+$414
Gettysburg	$61,760	$76,690	3.18%
Lafayette	$58,110	$75,954	4.00%	-$736

Data Source

Institutional Websites

Fact:

During the past two years, the unprecedented pandemic posed major challenges for students’ learning environments and processes. Despite these challenges, a healthy majority of the 2022 graduating class reported they have participated in the following high-impact learning experiences during their undergraduate career at Gettysburg:

2019

2020

2021

Community service

86%

$82%

81%

Internships (paid or unpaid)

77%

68%

71%

Working with faculty on research

55%

56%

57%

Data Source
- 2022 HEDS Graduating Student Survey (survey launched on April 12; closing date: May 12). Presented above are preliminary results. Response rate as of 5pm, May 11 was 45%. A final report will be available in the fall.
- Historical data: Gettysburg College Facts & Figures
Some of you have already visited the Outcomes Dashboard which was created by the Office of Institutional Analysis and was launched this Tuesday (May 3). It displays our alumni's employment and graduate school attendance within a year after graduating from Gettysburg (first-destinations). The outcomes data indicate that the College has been graduating students who are ready to make an impact. Below are some interesting statistics about this highly visual, interactive dashboard. [Note: Statistics below have been updated since May 5 compared with the original posting on the Digests, based on another round of LinkedIn profile search and additional information provided by departments.]

Fact:
- A total of 8 graduating classes (2013-2020) are displayed on the dashboard.
In total (8 graduating classes combined):
- 2,868 graduates are displayed in the Employment section.
- 867 graduates are displayed in the Graduate Schools section.
- Taking into account about 43 graduates displayed in both sections (as they were both employed and attending graduate school within that timeframe), we have around 3,692 graduates (unduplicated headcount) displayed on the dashboard (i.e., 462 per graduating class).
- Total number of employers represented: 1,984
- Total number of institutions represented (where they were pursuing a graduate degree/further education): 300
- 97 graduates were employed overseas (foreign countries represented: 34)
Data Source
- Outcomes data were collected by the Office of Institutional Analysis & the Center for Career Engagement.
- Interactive Dashboards (Click the top left thumbnail for the dashboard on first-destinations)
Fact:

Based on data of our most recent four graduating classes combined (2018--2021), the most popular (top 4) majors completed by Gettysburg’s international students were:
- Economics (including Mathematical Economics; representing 21% of all majors completed by these international students)
- Computer Science (representing 10%)
- Mathematics (representing 9%)
- Psychology (representing 8%)
All US degree-granting, 4-yr or above, public and private (not-for-profit) institutions combined (about 2,400 institutions): During the 2019-20 academic year, of all the bachelor’s degrees awarded to international students, the most popular (top 4) broad fields of study were:
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Of all the bachelor’s degrees completed by international students, this field of study represented 26%)
- Engineering (13%)
- Social Sciences (several majors combined; 10%)
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (9%)
Footnote
- Double majors were counted as 2 degrees in NCES (IPEDS) reporting and also in our counts.
Data Sources
- Page 9 of the 2021-22 Gettysburg College Fact Book
- NCES: Degree Completions by Field of Study (2019-20)
- Suhua Dong's Customized Summary Table downloaded from the NCES website (Feel free to download it to see the details.)
Fact:

21% (N=130) of the Fall 2021 first-year cohort were Pell recipients, which represents 5 percentage points higher compared with the first-year cohort who entered five years ago (i.e., in Fall 2016).

Based on the most recent statistics, the 6-yr graduation rate of our Pell students was overall similar to that of our non-Pell students.

Data Sources
- Page 26 of the 2021-22 Gettysburg College Fact Book
- Page 34 of the 2021-22 Gettysburg College Fact Book
Fact:

For at least 6 cohorts, Gettysburg male students’ 6-yr graduation rates have been considerably lower than those of female students. For example, for the Fall 2015 entering cohort, the difference was about 10 percentage points (77% vs. 87%).

You might ask, “How about the national trend”? The answer is: A similar pattern has been in existence for years nationally. For example, for the 2014 entry cohort (the latest for whom statistics are available), the 6-yr graduation rate of male students at 4-year private/nonprofit institutions was 64.1%, compared with that of female students which was 71.1%, or a difference of 7 percentage points.

Footnote
- 6-yr graduation rate here means % of the starting cohort who received bachelor's degrees from their initial institutions of attendance within 6 years after entry.
Data Sources
- Gettysburg College Fact Book
- NCES Digest of Educational Statistics
Fact:

Five years after graduating from Gettysburg, 98% of the 2016 graduating class are employed or attending graduate school; about 45% have received or are pursuing a graduate degree.

Data Source
- Fall 2021 Five-Year-Out Alumni Survey: A Report of Major Results (Survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Analysis from mid-Sep. to late Oct. 2021. Survey response rate was 35%. Further, OIA conducted LinkedIn profile search during mid-to-late Fall 2021, gathering employment and graduate school information of those who did not take the Survey. Through these two data collection methods, we achieved an 85% Knowledge Rate.
Also interesting: The survey response rate was considerably higher than last time (26%). Thanks to Joe Lynch who suggested offering Servo cookies as a prize. I think it helped. One winner wrote back, telling us: "I am too excited for Servo cookies!"
Fact:

When asked about their highest degree aspirations, 80% of Gettysburg’s Fall 2021 first-year students reported they intended to obtain a Master’s degree or higher, similar to our fall 2019 cohort.

Data Source
- Fall 2021 CIRP Freshman Survey: A Report of Select Results. From August 31 to mid-September 2021, the Office of Institutional Analysis invited all of our new first-year students to take the survey. Approximately 35% of our students took it. This was the 1^st 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.

Graduating Class	% of double majors
2023	24%
2022	19%
2021	23%
2020	19%
2019	18%
2018	15%
2017	15%

	International Students	Domestic Students of Color
Critical Thinking	100%	84%
Effective Speaking	96%	72%
Ethical Reasoning	96%	81%

	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

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)

Fall 2014	Fall 2022
Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania
New Jersey	New Jersey
New York	New York
Connecticut	Maryland
Maryland	Connecticut

	Combined % reporting "satisfied" or "very satisfied"
International & Domestic Students of Color (n=47)	83%
Domestic White (n=195)	83%
Overall	83%