Academics
Metric Two
Metric 2: Three-Year Graduation Rate, FTFT Associate Degree-Seeking Students
The three-year graduation rate data in the table below compares the five-year SGSC rates to the average rates for the same period for all eight USG state colleges. "Institution-specific" refers to students graduating from SGSC, "System-wide for SGSC" refers to former SGSC students who graduate from any USG institution, and "System-wide for all state colleges" refers to students who began at a USG institution, transferred to another USG institution, and graduated from the USG institution to which they transferred.
| First-Time Full-Time Associate Degree-Seeking Freshmen Three-Year Graduation Rates | Institution- Specific for State Colleges |
System-Wide for State Colleges |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution-Specific Rate for SGSC | System-Wide Rate for SGSC | Avg institution- specific rate for all 8 USG state colleges |
Avg rate within the System for all 8 USG state colleges |
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| Cohort | N | N | % | N | % | % | % |
| Cohort | Graduated | Graduated | Graduated | Graduated | Graduated | Graduated | |
| Fall 2013 | 878 | 105 | 11.96% | 108 | 12.30% | 13.40% | 13.80% |
| Fall 2014 | 818 | 118 | 14.43% | 123 | 15.04% | 13.80% | 14.20% |
| Fall 2015 | 910 | 120 | 13.19% | 125 | 13.74% | 15.20% | 15.50% |
| Fall 2016 | 812 | 130 | 16.01% | 132 | 16.26% | 14.50% | 14.80% |
| Fall 2017 | 768 | 147 | 19.14% | 149 | 19.40% | 15.60% | 15.90% |
| Fall 2018 | 773 | 119 | 15.40% | 124 | 16.00% | 16.30% | 16.70% |
| Fall 2019 | 664 | 133 | 20.03% | 135 | 20.33% | 16.30% | 16.40% |
| Source: USG Graduation Rate Reports - https://www.usg.edu/research/usgbythenumbers | |||||||
Analysis and Evaluation of Metric 2
The three-year graduation rate data in Metric 2 compares the six-year SGSC rates to the average rates for the same period for all eight USG state colleges. “Institution-specific” refers to students graduating from SGSC, “System-wide for SGSC” refers to former SGSC students who graduate from any USG institution, and “System-wide for all state colleges” refers to students who began at a USG institution, transferred to another USG institution, and graduated from the USG institution to which they transferred.
The data in the table shows that the three-year institution-specific graduation rate for SGSC’s FTFT associate degree-seeking students is at a six-year average of 16.4% (fall 2014 through fall 2019 cohorts), while the institution-specific average for all eight USG state colleges is 15.3% for the same period. The Georgia Highlands State College average rate for the six years is 18%, significantly higher than the average SGSC and state college rates. The rationale for an SGSC metric goal of a 20% three-year FTFT associate’s degree-seeking student graduation rate for the fall 2023 cohort is based on the fall 2019 cohort rate of 20%, which is above the Georgia Highlands fall 2019 rate of 19.7% and the highest three-year graduation rate in the state college sector for the fall 2019 cohort. Georgia Highlands had the second-highest fall 2019 rate in our sector.
It is noteworthy that SGSC’s institution-specific graduation rate typically exceeds the average graduation rate for all USG state colleges. In addition, the rate for the most recent student cohort of former SGSC students transferring to other USG state colleges (fall 2019, 20.3%) exceeds the average rate for all USG state college associate’s degree-seeking students transferring within the System (fall 2019, 16.4%).