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 degree-seeking students enrolled in a fall term who were still enrolled in the following fall term. Annual retention rates are calculated for both first time at Hodges 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 40% for 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 | FALL 2017 – 2018 | FALL 2018 – 2019 | FALL 2019 – 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Term at Hodges |
||||||||
| Bachelor’s | 55% | 52% | 55% | 55% | 45% | 50% | 40% | 45% |
| All Enrolled Students | ||||||||
| Bachelor’s | 65% | 63% | 65% | 69% | 61% | 63% | 68% | 63% |
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 degree-seeking students enrolled in a fall term who are still enrolled in the following winter term. Term persistence rates are calculated for both first time at Hodges and all enrolled students.
Below are the term-to-term persistence rates for all degree-seeking students; the true freshmen (first time in college); and the veteran students, with each cohort reaching or exceeding Hodges University’s 50% target for the first time at Hodges and 70% target for the all enrolled students. The data show 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 | FALL 2018 -WINTER 2019 | FALL 2019 -WINTER 2020 | FALL 2020 -WINTER 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree-Seeking Students | 70% | 71% | 75% | 70% | 67% | 71% | 58% | 60% | 74% |
| True Freshmen | 71% | 74% | 77% | 61% | 66% | 72% | 53% | 51% | 70% |
| ALL ENROLLED STUDENTS 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 | FALL 2018 -WINTER 2019 | FALL 2019 -WINTER 2020* | FALL 2020 -WINTER 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree-Seeking Students | 75% | 77% | 76% | 78% | 75% | 76% | 76% | 65%* | 76% |
| Veteran Students | 73% | 78% | 72% | 83% | 78% | 79% | 84% | 72%* | 84% |
* NOTE: This term was disrupted due to the temporary school closure for the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.
Job Placement Rates
External statistics are used to validate internal employment statistics. The data source used 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 consistently ranking in the top five for average annual earnings for baccalaureate graduates employed between 2011 and 2019. 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 | AVERAGE ANNUAL EARNINGS FOR BACHELOR GRADUATES | HU’S RANK AMONG ICUF PEERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 329 | 244 | 74% | $37,940 | 1 |
| 2012 | 295 | 214 | 73% | $39,092 | 1 |
| 2013 | 274 | 205 | 75% | $36,166 | 1 |
| 2014 | 288 | 198 | 69% | $38,334 | 4 |
| 2015 | 257 | 202 | 79% | $43,179 | 1 |
| 2016 | 208 | 142 | 68% | $41,691 | 4 |
| 2017 | 220 | 170 | 77% | $47,092 | 2 |
| 2018 | 177 | 123 | 70% | $47,176 | 4 |
| 2019 | 162 | 112 | 69% | $51,300 | 4 |
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 as reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). 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 consistent success in degree productivity, with 29 degrees awarded per 100 FTE in 2019-2020, exceeding the current target of 25 degrees per 100 FTE.
| YEAR | FTE ENROLLMENT | DEGREES AWARDED | DEGREE PRODUCTIVITY(DEGREES PER 100 FTE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 – 2010 | 2,274 | 576 | 25 |
| 2010 – 2011 | 2,486 | 610 | 25 |
| 2011 – 2012 | 2,390 | 646 | 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 |
| 2017 – 2018 | 1,115 | 406 | 36 |
| 2018 – 2019 | 1,015 | 385 | 38 |
| 2019 – 2020 | 876 | 256 | 29 |
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, undergraduate degree-seeking students enrolled for their first time in college (true freshmen) who graduate within 150% of the expected time to complete their degree.
The cohort used to calculate the IPEDS graduation rates does not accurately represent Hodges students, who are primarily adults who work and support a family; and therefore, they often attend part-time and already have some college credit. In fall 2020, the average age of Hodges’ students was 33 and 34% of degree-seeking students attended part time.
Therefore, in order to provide substantiating data, Hodges calculates internal graduation rates at 150 percent of the typical graduation time for undergraduate students in the fall enrollment cohort who are attending Hodges for the first time. The graduation rates at 150 percent for the first time at Hodges undergraduate, degree-seeking students are provided below. (This represents the combined true freshmen and transfer-in cohorts.) In addition, the graduation rates at 150 percent are shown for just the transfer-in cohort, which represents 70% of our first time at Hodges cohort. For contrast, the IPEDS overall undergraduate graduation rates are provided to show the full-time, true freshmen cohort as officially reported.
Based on baseline trend data from fall 2007 to fall 2014, 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 | Fall 2012 | Fall 2013 | Fall 2014 |
| First Time at Hodges Cohort | 40% | 44% | 30% | 30% | 30% | 31% | 27% | 33% |
| Transfer-in Cohort | 51% | 54% | 36% | 35% | 35% | 38% | 33% | 42% |
| IPEDS OVERALL RATES AT 150% | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Degree-Seeking Students | Fall 2007 | Fall 2008 | Fall 2009 | Fall 2010 | Fall 2011 | Fall 2012 | Fall 2013 | Fall 2014 |
| Overall IPEDS Graduation Rates | 30% | 29% | 30% | 25% | 27% | 22% | 26% | 28% |
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 a few years (with the most recent in 2020-2021 for the 2012 cohort), the baseline 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 30%.
| IPEDS OUTCOME MEASURE (8-YEAR AWARD RATE) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Degree-Seeking Students | 2007 Cohort | 2008 Cohort | 2009 Cohort | 2010 Cohort | 2011 Cohort | 2012 Cohort |
| Full-time, First-time Entering | 30% | 29% | 29% | 23% | 26% | 26% |
| Part-time, First-time Entering | 35% | 22% | 24% | 34% | 35% | 27% |
| Full-time, Non-first-time Entering | 56% | 59% | 44% | 42% | 42% | 38% |
| Part-time, Non-first-time Entering | 44% | 35% | 29% | 31% | 24% | 32% |
| Overall Outcome Measure Rate | 45.9% | 45.6% | 35.6% | 32.5% | 31.8% | 30.8% |