
Student Achievement and Institutional Performance Indicators
Student success in achieving personal or professional objectives is the foremost mission of Hodges University. The university measures student achievement and institutional performance in several ways, including student job / employment placement rates, degree productivity, student retention and persistence, graduation rates, and student debt level.
Annual Student Retention Rates
The annual retention rate is defined as the percentage of undergraduate, degree-seeking students enrolled in a fall term who were still enrolled in the following fall term. Annual student retention rates are calculated separately for first time Hodges students and all enrolled students. The retention rates for the bachelor’s students are provided below. The target set by Hodges University varies based on the cohort, with 45% for the first time at Hodges and 60% for all enrolled students.
COHORT | FALL 2012 – 2013 | FALL 2013 – 2014 | FALL 2014 – 2015 | FALL 2015 – 2016 | FALL 2016 – 2017 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Term at Hodges |
|||||
Bachelor’s | 55% | 52% | 55% | 55% | 45% |
All Enrolled Students | |||||
Bachelor’s | 65% | 63% | 65% | 69% | 61% |

Fall-to-Winter Persistence Rates in Student Achievement
Students often report that their first term in college is the most difficult, especially for those who are returning to school after an extended absence, who work full-time, and who are supporting families. Hodges University reaches out to students with services designed to help them be successful – especially during that critical first term.
The Term Persistence Rate is defined as the percentage of undergraduate, degree-seeking students enrolled in a fall term who are still enrolled in the following winter term. Term persistence rates are calculated separately for the first time at Hodges and all enrolled students.
Below are the term-to-term persistence rates for the undergraduate, degree-seeking students; the true freshmen (first term in college); and the veteran students, with each cohort reaching or exceeding Hodges University’s 60% target for the first time at Hodges and 70% target for the all enrolled students. The data shows that a large majority of students succeed in their first term and re-enroll at Hodges University for their second term in college.
FIRST TIME AT
HODGES COHORT |
FALL 2012 –
WINTER 2013 |
FALL 2013 –
WINTER 2014 |
FALL 2014 –
WINTER 2015 |
FALL 2015 –
WINTER 2016 |
FALL 2016 –
WINTER 2017 |
FALL 2017 –
WINTER 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undergraduate
Degree-Seeking |
70% | 71% | 75% | 69% | 66% | 70% |
True Freshmen | 71% | 74% | 77% | 61% | 66% | 72% |
Veteran Students | – | – | – | 80% | 68% | 56% |
ALL ENROLLED STUDENT COHORT |
FALL 2012-
WINTER 2013 |
FALL 2013 –
WINTER 2014 |
FALL 2014 – WINTER 2015 |
FALL 2015 –
WINTER 2016 |
FALL 2016 –
WINTER 2017 |
FALL 2017 –
WINTER 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undergraduate
Degree-Seeking |
75% | 76% | 75% | 77% | 74% | 75% |
Veteran Students | 73% | 78% | 72% | 83% | 78% | 79% |
Career Outcomes Success Rate
Hodges University measures career outcomes of student achievement in accordance with the national standards provided by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). NACE developed standards and protocols to help colleges assess the value and effectiveness of higher education as it relates to preparing the next generation workforce. These standards and protocols allow colleges to measure outcomes in order to improve higher education performance and achieve institutional and academic program accreditation standards. NACE defines the Career Outcomes Rate as the percentage of graduates who fall into the following categories: employed full time, employed part-time, participating in a program of voluntary service, serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, or enrolled in a program of continuing education. Hodges University continues to meet or exceed its target of 80%.
2016-2017 Career Outcomes Success Rate is 93% (68% Employed and 25% Continuing Education). Review the Office of Career Services Infographic and Annual Report for more information.
Job Placement Rates
External statistics are used to validate internal employment statistics. The data source is the Florida Education and Training Placement Information Program (FETPIP), which collects data on the Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida (ICUF) institutions. In the most recent published data, Hodges University ranks very high in comparison with its ICUF peers, with Hodges students ranking first or second in most years for percent of baccalaureate graduates employed between 2008 and 2016. Hodges University’s target for students reported by FETPIP who have earned a bachelor’s degree and who are employed is 65%.
YEAR | NUMBER OF
BACHELOR GRADUATES |
NUMBER
EMPLOYED |
PERCENT OF BACHELOR
GRADUATES EMPLOYED |
HU’S RANK AMONG
ICUF PEERS |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | 302 | 217 | 72% | 1 |
2012 | 295 | 213 | 72% | 1 |
2013 | 274 | 205 | 75% | 2 |
2014 | 288 | 198 | 69% | 4 |
2015 | 257 | 202 | 79% | 1 |
2016 | 208 | 142 | 68% | 4 |
2017 | 220 | 170 | 77% | 2 |
Degree Productivity in Student Achievement
Because of the difficulties with graduation rate comparisons across diverse institutions, one valid accountability measure Hodges University uses to demonstrate student achievement is degree productivity. Degree productivity is an expression of the total number of degrees awarded in an academic year as a percentage of full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment. Therefore, degree productivity is a reflection of student achievement overall, rather than for a small segment of a university’s student body, and provides a valid measure of achievement across multiple institutions. Although Hodges has experienced lower enrollment numbers in recent years, the table shows an increase in degree productivity, with 30 degrees awarded per 100 FTE in 2016-2017, exceeding the current target of 20 degrees per 100 FTE.
YEAR | FTE
ENROLLMENT |
DEGREES
AWARDED |
DEGREES
PER 100 FTE |
---|---|---|---|
2009-2010 | 2,274 | 576 | 25 |
2010-2011 | 2,580 | 592 | 23 |
2011-2012 | 2,390 | 641 | 27 |
2012-2013 | 2,176 | 598 | 27 |
2013-2014 | 1,913 | 559 | 29 |
2014-2015 | 1,778 | 500 | 28 |
2015-2016 | 1,473 | 439 | 30 |
2016-2017 | 1,461 | 441 | 30 |
Graduation Rates
Graduation rates are published by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) for the federal government. These rates represent the percentage of full-time students enrolled for their first time in college who graduate within 150% of the time expected to complete their degree.
The cohorts used to calculate the IPEDS graduation rates do not accurately represent Hodges students, who are primarily adults who work and support a family; therefore, they usually attend part-time and already have some college credit. In fall 2017, the average age of Hodges’ students was 33 and 53% of degree-seeking students attended part-time.
Hodges calculates graduation rates at 150 percent of the typical graduation time for students in the fall enrollment cohort. The graduation rates at 150 percent for the undergraduate, degree-seeking students for the first time at Hodges and transfer-in cohorts are provided below.
Based on trend data from fall 2007 to fall 2011, Hodges University’s target for internal graduation rates at 150 percent of normal time to completion is 30%.
INTERNAL GRADUATION RATES AT 150% | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Degree-Seeking Students | Fall 2007 | Fall 2008 | Fall 2009 | Fall 2010 | Fall 2011 |
First Time at Hodges Cohort | 40% | 44% | 30% | 30% | 30% |
Transfer-in Cohort | 51% | 54% | 36% | 35% | 35% |
IPEDS OVERALL RATES AT 150% | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Degree-Seeking Students | Fall 2007 | Fall 2008 | Fall 2009 | Fall 2010 | Fall 2011 |
Overall IPEDS Graduation Rates | 30% | 29% | 30% | 25% | 27% |
IPEDS Outcome Measure in Student Achievement
To better represent Hodges University, the new IPEDS outcome measure was recently selected as our SACSCOC key completion indicator. Although this measure has only been collected for three years (2015-2016 for 2007 cohort, 2016-2017 for 2008 cohort, 2017-2018 for 2009 cohort), the trend analysis shows that, with the inclusion of the transfer-in and part-time students, which more accurately captures working adults returning to school, the overall 8-year award rate falls within our established target of 35%.
IPEDS OUTCOME MEASURE
(8-YEAR AWARD RATE) |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Degree-Seeking Students |
2007 Cohort |
2008
Cohort |
2009 Cohort |
Full-time, First-time Entering | 30% | 29% | 29% |
Part-time, First-time Entering | 35% | 22% | 24% |
Full-time, Non-first-time Entering | 56% | 59% | 44% |
Part-time, Non-first-time Entering | 44% | 35% | 29% |
Overall Outcome Measure Rate | 45.9% | 45.6% | 35.6% |