2014-2015 freshman retention report
TRANSCRIPT
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2014-2015 Freshman Retention Report September 27, 2016
A comprehensive examination of retention activity among the fall 2014 freshman cohort at UCCS.
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Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 4 Measuring Retention ................................................................................................................................ 4 Benchmarks ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Student Demographics ................................................................................................... 6 Gender, Race, and Ethnicity ...................................................................................................................... 6 Age.......................................................................................................................................................... 6 First Generation Status ............................................................................................................................. 7 Tuition Residency ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Home State .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Colorado Home City .................................................................................................................................. 9 Colorado High School .............................................................................................................................. 10 Military Affiliation .................................................................................................................................. 11 Disability Status ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Student Engagement .................................................................................................... 11 Student Life & Leadership Programs ........................................................................................................ 11 Honors .................................................................................................................................................. 12 Athletics ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Recreation Center .................................................................................................................................. 13 Residence Life and Housing ..................................................................................................................... 13 Student Employment .............................................................................................................................. 14 Excel Centers ....................................................................................................................................... 15 Number of Excel Centers Visited ......................................................................................................... 16 Success Net ......................................................................................................................................... 16
Financial Aid ................................................................................................................ 17 Adjusted Gross Income ........................................................................................................................... 17 Aid Awarded .......................................................................................................................................... 17 Financial Aid Budget ............................................................................................................................... 18 Expected Family Contribution .................................................................................................................. 19 Unmet Need .......................................................................................................................................... 20 Loans ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 Grants ................................................................................................................................................... 23 Scholarships ........................................................................................................................................... 24 Work Study ............................................................................................................................................ 25 Federal, State, and Institutional Aid ......................................................................................................... 26
Admissions Criteria....................................................................................................... 26 Application Dates ................................................................................................................................... 26 Admit Type ............................................................................................................................................ 27 Window Admission Status ....................................................................................................................... 27 Admissions Index .................................................................................................................................... 27 Admissions Index Group.......................................................................................................................... 28 High School GPA ..................................................................................................................................... 28 Standardized Test Scores ........................................................................................................................ 29
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Math Placement Exams ........................................................................................................................... 34 Academic Preparation .................................................................................................. 35
Starting Academic Level .......................................................................................................................... 35 Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and CLEP Credit ........................................................... 36 Freshman Enrollment, Early Starters ........................................................................................................ 37 High School Concurrent Students ............................................................................................................. 37 Transfer Credit ..................................................................................................................................... 38 Total Cumulative Hours ....................................................................................................................... 38
Academic Characteristics .............................................................................................. 39 Academic Program and Plan .................................................................................................................... 39 Major Change ........................................................................................................................................ 40 Full-time Status and Academic Load ......................................................................................................... 42
Coursework & Performance .......................................................................................... 43 Compass Curriculum ............................................................................................................................... 43 GPS Seminar Section and Grade Distribution ............................................................................................ 44 English and Math Prerequisites ............................................................................................................... 45 English Coursework ................................................................................................................................ 46 Math Coursework ................................................................................................................................... 46 Biology Coursework ................................................................................................................................ 48 Chemistry .............................................................................................................................................. 48 First Semester Course Withdrawals .......................................................................................................... 49 Grades ................................................................................................................................................... 50 Spring 2015 Grade Point Average ............................................................................................................ 50 Online Coursework .............................................................................................................................. 51 Course Level .......................................................................................................................................... 52
Statistical Summary ................................................................................................... 53 References ................................................................................................................ 55 Appendix A: ............................................................................................................... 56
National Survey of Student Engagement: Spring 2015 ....................................................................... 56 Engagement Indicators ........................................................................................................................... 56 NSSE Statistical Analysis .................................................................................................................... 63
Appendix B ................................................................................................................ 66 Pearson’s Correlations: Freshman Retention ...................................................................................... 66
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Introduction
The performance of UCCS is often measured by its retention rate. In this report, we explain how
retention is measured and show how it varies according to student and institutional characteristics.
Our intention is to present a single, unified, and definitive resource on UCCS retention rates to inform
decision makers in the campus community. We hope to promote a single vision and reduce the number
of one-off retention reports by collaborating with colleagues to incorporate their data into this
comprehensive annual report. The scope of the report continues to expand as more campus offices
develop techniques to record student participation in events and programs designed to improve student
success. We thank the following for their cooperation and collaboration, in no particular order:
Office of the Registrar Financial Aid
Office of Veteran and Military Student Affairs Student Employment
Disability Services Recreation & Wellness Center
Excel Centers Admissions Services
Residence Life and Housing SuccessNet (Psychology)
Information Technology Web Services Student Life & Leadership
Intercollegiate Athletics Academic Advising
Gateway Program Seminar
Measuring Retention
Unless otherwise noted, we rely on the measure of retention defined by the U.S. Department of
Education and collected in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The IPEDS
retention rate is the percentage of first-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who entered in the
fall (or who were enrolled in the fall but started in the preceding summer term) and who enrolled at the
same institution one year later. A first-time student is one who is attending college for the first time
after graduating from high school. The cohort is identified after the fall semester ends and the retention
status per student in the cohort is determined one year later at the beginning of the next fall semester.
The fall 2014 cohort included 1661 full-time and 91 part-time students with retention rates of 68% and
53%, respectively. The overall retention rate was 67% among 1752 students.
Benchmarks
The UCCS administration sets a benchmark for retention between 72% and 74%, a rate that is deemed
reasonable in comparison to other similar institutions and in accordance to strategic initiatives on
campus. The UCCS retention rate usually falls below the retention rate at peer institutions, because
several are more selective with classifications as either Doctoral Universities with High Research Activity
(DHR) or Doctoral Universities with Moderate Research Activity (DMR). These peers are considered
aspirational since UCCS is classified as a Master’s Large (ML) institution. However, the UCCS retention
rate was also below 163 institutions classified as public master’s large institutions. The table below
shows the most recent publicized peer retention rates for 2013-2014.
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Group Type of Institution
2013-2014 Retention Rate
Official Peer Institutions: 78%
Cleveland State University DHR 70% Florida Atlantic University DHR 75% New Jersey Institute of Technology DHR 84% Portland State University DHR 73% Rutgers University-Newark DHR 86% University of Maryland-Baltimore County
DHR 89%
University of Massachusetts-Boston DHR 80% University of Missouri-St. Louis DHR 79% University of North Carolina at Charlotte
DHR 82%
University of Texas at El Paso DHR 68% Wichita State University DHR 75% Montclair State University DMR 81% Oakland University (Michigan) DMR 78% Texas A & M-Corpus Christi DMR 56% University of Nebraska-Omaha DMR 77% Bridgewater State University ML 81% California State University-East Bay ML 81% CUNY Bernard Baruch College ML 90% CUNY Brooklyn College ML 82% CUNY City College ML 86% CUNY College of Staten Island ML 80% Northern Kentucky University ML 69% Rowan University ML 84% Salem State University ML 81% Sonoma State University ML 81% SUNY - Buffalo State ML 73% University of Central Oklahoma ML 66% University of Michigan-Dearborn ML 80% University of North Florida ML 83% University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
ML 70%
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
ML 88%
All Public Master’s Large Institutions (N=163) 75%
University of Colorado Colorado Springs ML 66%
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Student Demographics
Gender, Race, and Ethnicity
Retention rates vary among gender, race, and ethnic groups. The retention rate for women is higher
than men in all race/ethnic groups except Asian, Nonresident Alien, and Unknown.
Gender IPEDS Ethnicity Cohort (N) Retention Rate Female American Indian or Alaska Native 5 60%
Asian 25 80% Black or African American 37 68% Hispanic/Latino 190 66% Nonresident Alien 2 50% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 6 50% Two or more races 82 70% Unknown 3 67% White 547 69% Female Total 897 68%
Male American Indian or Alaska Native 1 0% Asian 23 83% Black or African American 36 53% Hispanic/Latino 150 65% Nonresident Alien 9 56%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Two or more races 69 65% Unknown 3 100% White 564 66% Male Total 855 66%
Total
1752 67%
Age
Age is determined as of October 15, 2014. The vast majority of students (93%) enter UCCS when they
are 18 or 19 years of age. Younger students below 18 and older students above 25 have relatively high
retention rates, but there are few of them. The age group with the lowest retention rate are 20 to 25
year-olds.
Age Cohort (N) Retention Rate
<18 43 70%
18 1299 67%
19 328 67%
20 to 25 63 57%
26+ 19 74%
Total 1752 67%
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First Generation Status
Students are considered first-generation students if their parent(s) have not completed a four-year
degree. Students may voluntarily report the highest level of education for their mother and/or father on
the application and, if applying for financial aid, on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The only students regarded as first-generation are those who report levels of education less than a
baccalaureate degree; students who do not report information or who report at least one parent with a
baccalaureate degree are not first-generation students. By this definition, 28% of freshman students are
first-generation students. Our first-generation freshmen were less likely to be retained.
First Generation Status Cohort (N) Retention Rate First-Generation 495 64% Not First-Generation 1257 68%
Total 1752 67%
Tuition Residency
Students who qualify for in-state tuition were retained at a higher rate than students paying non-
residential tuition. Western Undergraduate Exchange Students are retained at a slightly lower rate than
residential students.
Tuition Residency Cohort (N) Retention Rate Non-Resident, Total 258 64%
Non-Resident 141 59%
Presidential Scholar (both Athlete and non-Athlete) 16 88%
Western Undergraduate Exchange 101 66%
Resident, Total 1494 68%
Resident 1436 68%
Active Duty, Active Duty Dependent, or CO National Guard 36 58%
Honorably Discharged or Dependent 11 73%
Olympic Athlete 3 100%
ASSET 8 63%
Total 1752 67%
Home State
UCCS attracted freshmen from 40 states and territories in fall of 2014. California, New Mexico, Kansas,
and Missouri are noteworthy because they represent 37% of our out-of-state freshmen and had a
combined retention rate of 72%.
Student retention in 19 states averaged less than the total overall cohort retention rate. Texas, Illinois,
Hawaii, and Virginia provided approximately 26% of our out-of-state freshmen; however, the retention
among students from these states was only 53%.
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Home State Cohort (N) Retention Rate
California 58 69%
Texas 29 66%
Hawaii 12 33%
Illinois 11 55%
New Mexico
11 82%
Missouri 8 75%
Kansas 6 83%
Minnesota 6 67%
Virginia 6 33%
Wisconsin 5 80%
New Jersey 4 75%
Oregon 4 100%
Penn. 4 75%
Washington 4 75%
Alaska 3 33%
Florida 3 67%
Michigan 3 33%
N. Dakota 3 100%
Wyoming 3 0%
Conn. 2 100%
Georgia 2 100%
Iowa 2 100%
Mass. 2 50%
Nevada 2 100%
N. Carolina 2 50%
Ohio 2 50%
S. Dakota 2 50%
Tennessee 2 50%
Alabama 1 100%
Arizona 1 0%
Arkansas 1 100%
Idaho 1 100%
Maine 1 0%
Maryland 1 0%
Montana 1 100%
Nebraska 1 100%
New York 1 0%
Oklahoma 1 100%
Puerto Rico 1 100%
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Colorado Home City
In fall 2014, UCCS attracted freshmen from over 125 cities within Colorado. Of the Colorado students,
51% originated from Colorado Springs. Another 32% came from a city within 70 miles of Colorado
Springs. Retention rates for freshmen by city with an incoming (n) above 5 are noted below.
Home City (in Colorado) Miles from Co. Spgs. Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Colorado Springs 0 784 67%
Monument 20.5 57 70%
Aurora 68.4 54 70%
Peyton 24.7 45 67%
Parker 54.5 39 77%
Castle Rock 40.6 36 81%
Centennial 55 35 69%
Denver 70.3 30 77%
Fountain 14.2 24 67%
Highlands Ranch 58.2 24 67%
Littleton 62.6 23 70%
Pueblo 43.6 20 50%
Arvada 79.4 20 30%
Woodland Park 19.2 18 72%
Westminster 79.9 14 86%
Longmont 106 14 50%
Thornton 79.7 11 82%
Broomfield 85.7 11 73%
Greeley 130 9 56%
Fort Collins 133 8 38%
Pueblo West 42 7 71%
Elizabeth 48.6 7 57%
Lakewood 72.4 7 29%
Palmer Lake 23.8 6 100%
Larkspur 32.2 6 83%
Calhan 47.7 6 50%
Englewood 64.4 6 50%
Golden 83.2 6 50%
Berthoud 115 6 83%
Elbert 37.3 5 80%
Florence 39.8 5 40%
Morrison 75.6 5 60%
Evergreen 82.9 5 60%
Trinidad 129 5 40%
Monte Vista 182 5 60%
Grand Junction 292 5 60%
Other (cities with n’s <5) 157 68.15%
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Colorado High School
Over half of the incoming fall 2014 freshman cohort graduated from one of 44 high schools in Colorado.
The following table provides retention rate for students by high school and is sorted by the size of the
entering cohort.
High School Name Cohort (N) Retention Rate Rampart High School 52 87% Thomas B Doherty 51 65% William J Palmer 49 71% Pine Creek High School 42 81% Vista Ridge High School 41 76% Falcon High School 38 76% Liberty High School 37 65% Cheyenne Mountain 34 68% Coronado High School 32 66% Lewis-Palmer High School 32 63% Palmer Ridge High School 31 77% Sand Creek High School 31 68% Air Academy High School 27 74% Douglas County High School 22 73% Fountain-Fort Carson 22 45% James Irwin Charter HS 22 68% The Classical Academy-TCA 22 77% Harrison High School 20 30% Mesa Ridge High School 19 63% Discovery Canyon Campus 18 83% Widefield High School 18 72% Manitou Springs High School 17 53% Chaparral High School 16 81% CO. Springs Early College 16 81% Grandview High School 16 88% Legend High School 16 75% Castle View High School 15 87% Eaglecrest High School 14 57% Thunderridge High School 14 71% Rock Canyon High School 13 38% Saint Mary’s High School 13 54% Sierra High School 13 69% Woodland Park High School 13 77% Mountain Vista High School 12 83% William Mitchell High School 12 58% Pueblo West High School 11 64% Ralston Valley High School 11 18% Vanguard School 11 82% Arapahoe High School 10 70% Falcon Virtual Academy 10 60% Littleton High School 10 60% Rangeview High School 9 100% Peak To Peak Charter School 9 67% Florence High School 9 55%
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Military Affiliation
We have at least four resources to identify students who have reported an affiliation with the military:
(a) recipients of military-related tuition assistance, (b) veteran service indicators certified by the Office
of Veteran and Military Student Affairs, (c) current term residency exceptions for out-of-state students
eligible for in-state tuition, and (d) self-reported military status drawn from student applications and/or
the student portal.
In 2014, 11% of the freshman cohort reported a military affiliation and 125 students returned for a 64%
retention rate. The only sizeable group with a notably different retention rate than the cohort is the
group of students with a Veteran Dependent service indicator (82%).
Group Cohort (N) Retention Rate Received Tuition Assistance from Military-Related Program 133 66%
Service Indicator 137 70%
Active Duty Military 3 33% Active Duty Military Dependent 51 63% Veteran 33 67% Veteran Dependent 50 82%
Tuition Residency Exceptions 47 62% Self-Reported Status 104 63%
Total, any of the above types of affiliation (unique headcounts) 195 64%
Disability Status
The Office of Disability Services recorded 79 freshmen (4.5% of the cohort) registered with the office
eligible for accommodation. Of those students who registered for services, 57 returned in fall 2015 for a
72% retention rate.
Student Engagement
Student Life & Leadership Programs
There are a variety of programs organized and managed by the UCCS department of Student Life and
Leadership located in the University Center. Student participation numbers and the corresponding
retention rates are noted in the table on page 12.
Student Government Association
Entering first-year students are unlikely to be members of the Student Government Association (SGA) in
their first semester. Of the 23 members of SGA in fall 2014, there were 3 freshmen participants and all 3
enrolled in fall 2015 for a 100% retention rate.
Greek Life
Greek Life has a small but growing presence on campus. In fall 2014, there were four active Greek
Chapters, two fraternities and two sororities: Alpha Sigma Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Sigma Sigma,
and Pi Beta Phi. Retention for the 2.7% of freshman involved in either fraternities of sororities was
higher than students who did not pledge. Cohort numbers can be found in the table below.
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Organized Student Clubs
The UCCS department of Student Life and Leadership coordinates student management of recognized
clubs on campus. The 400 freshmen who participated in club activities had a persistence rate that was
11 percentage points higher than freshmen who were not involved in club activities.
LIVE Leadership Program
The Launching Integrity, Values and Excellence (LIVE) Leadership Program is designed to cultivate
leadership skill among a dedicated group of emerging student leaders. Open to incoming, first year
freshmen, the program combines co-curricular training, mentorship and applied campus leadership
experience with an emphasis on civic engagement. In fall 2014, 20 freshmen entered the program and
100% were retained through fall 2015.
Student Life and Leadership Annual Leadership Conference
The 2014 Fall Student Life and Leadership (SSL) conference was a day-long event focusing on developing
a foundational understanding of leadership concepts such as how to use non-verbal communication for
better results, how to deal with self-esteem and bullying, how to be successful in the dance of life, and
how to set proper goals and expectations. Participants engaged with other student leaders, peers, and
club representatives in a variety of leadership exercises and by participating in ‘Learn, Lead, Dance’
themed activities. The event was open and free for all UCCS students. There were 32 freshman
participants in the SLL conference during fall of 2014 and 30 reenrolled in fall 2015 for a 94% retention
rate.
Life & Leadership Programs Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Student Government Association 3 100.00%
Sorority 28 75.00%
Fraternity 20 90.00%
Organized Student Club 400 75.75%
LIVE Leadership Program 20 100.00%
Leadership Conference 32 94.00%
Aggregated Participation (distinct headcount) 439 76.76%
Honors
The UCCS Honors Program is a selective program for entering first-year students who meet academic
eligibility criteria. Students admitted into the Honors Program receive either a $1,500 (University
Honors) or $500 (Mountain Lion Honors) scholarship that is renewable for up to four years, depending
on academic standing. Visit the Honors Program website for more information. In fall of 2014, 8% of
UCCS freshmen were admitted into either University Honors or Mountain Lion Honors and 87.9% were
retained into the following fall, which is 22.73 percentage points higher than freshmen who did not
participate in the honors program (65.17%).
UCCS Honors Program Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Mountain Lion Honors 109 84.40%
University Honors 32 100.00%
All Honors 141 87.94%
N/A 1611 65.17%
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Athletics
UCCS participates in NCAA Division II athletics. In fall 2014, the athletics department had 63 freshmen on
their final athletic rosters. Although the number of freshmen participating in athletics is relatively small,
the retention rate is substantially higher than students who are not on a team.
Athletics also tracks students who initially intend to participate in Division II Athletics in student groups
within Campus Solutions. The athletic student groups include students who may not be on the final
athletics roster and freshmen who are included on the final team roster. Beginning in fall 2014, there
were 69 freshmen identified in one of the athletic student groups and 82.60% were retained.
Athletics (Source) Cohort (N) Retention Rate Athletics Final Roster 63 84.12% Athletics Student Group 69 82.60%
No Athletics 1683 69.75%
Recreation Center
In fall 2014, we have record of 32 students in the cohort visited the Recreation Center 421 times. We
define a visit as a recorded card swipe at the front desk when students enter the facility. The students in
the cohort who visited the Recreation Center were retained at a higher rate than their counterparts.
Also, the retention rate increases with frequency of visits. Students who signed up for Intramural or Club
Sports were retained at 78% and 100%, respectively.
Recreation Center* Cohort (N) Retained Rate
Recreation Center Visits 32 78.13%
Did not visit 1719 66.84%
5 or fewer visits 17 76.47%
6 to 20 visits 9 77.78%
More than 20 visits 6 83.33%
Intramural Participation 300 78%
Club Sports Participation 46 100% *Fall 2014, the recreation center data that was available to the Office of Institutional Research through the card-
swipe system demonstrated much lower usage patterns than has been observed in the past.
Residence Life and Housing
In fall 2014, UCCS had three distinct housing villages that accommodated 863 freshmen. Students in
Summit Village, the most traditional residence hall closest to the main campus, had a higher retention
rate than students housed in apartments at Alpine Village or in the temporarily leased buildings off
campus at Timberline Village. The highest retention rates were among students in Aspen, Copper,
Eldora, and Steamboat residence halls.
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Residence Life and Housing Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Commuter 888 66%
On Campus: 863 68%
Alpine Village (near Recreation Center) 88 63%
Summit Village (near Columbine Hall) 697 70%
Aspen 73 75%
Copper 77 73%
Eldora 84 75%
Steamboat 86 84%
Telluride 84 65%
Vail 102 61%
Floor 2 Monarch, Keystone, or Breck. 56 61%
Floor 3 Monarch, Keystone, or Breck. 69 70%
Floor 4 Monarch, Keystone, or Breck. 66 70%
Timberline Village (temporary off campus) 78 51%
Taos 33 39%
Whistler 45 60%
Total 1752 67%
Theme Housing
In fall 2014, the UCCS Office of Residence Life and Housing offered seven option for theme housing.
Theme housing was utilized by 18% of incoming freshmen. Retention rates for students in theme
housing ranged from 50% to 100%. The table below contains retention rates for theme housing sorted
by retention rate.
Housing Theme Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Honors (located Steamboat) 31 100% Substance Free (located, Aspen) 73 75% Engineering (located, Floor 4 Monarch, Keystone, or Breck.) 66 70% The Arts Connection (located in Steamboat) 25 68% Colorado Living (located, Floor 2 Monarch, Keystone, or Breck.) 56 61% Female (located, Telluride) 31 52% Nursing (located, Vail) 34 50%
All Theme 316 68%
No Theme 547 68%
Student Employment
In fall 2014, there were approximately 7% or 126 freshman who either worked on campus or obtained
an off-campus work-study position through the university; these students returned at a higher rate
(76.9%) than students who did not have a position on campus (66%). The 126 student employees held
positions in 26 offices throughout campus. Food Service, the Family Development Center, Information
Technology, Student Recruitment, and the Recreation Center employed the largest number of freshmen.
All student employment data for fall 2014 was pulled from a HRMS snapshot with an active date of
October 15, 2014; therefore it may exclude student employees who were hired after the snapshot date.
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Students worked in a variety of positions. Job classifications have different salary ranges that correspond
to level of skill and experience needed to complete the tasks outlined in the job description. Typically a
Student Assistant II will earn higher hourly wages than a Student Assistant I. Students in the cohort who
were initially hired into a Student Assistant II position had an 80.39% retention rate compared to 76.12%
for those initially hired in Student Assistant I positions.
Student Employment Department Job Level Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Academic Affairs Student Asst. I 1 0.00% Student Asst. II 4 100.00% Student Asst. III 1 100.00%
Library Operations Student Asst. II 2 100.00%
Academic Affairs Total
8 87.50%
IT-Administrative Operations Student Asst. I 1 100.00% Student Asst. II 5 60.00%
IT Total
6 66.67%
Family Development Center (VCAF) Student Asst. II 13 76.92%
Food Service (VCAF) Student Asst. I 51 72.55% Student Asst. II 3 100.00%
Recreation Center (VCAF) Student Asst. I 5 80.00% Student Asst. II 2 100.00%
Other auxiliaries (VCAF) Student Asst. I 5 100.00% Student Asst. II 13 69.23% Student Asst. III 3 66.67% Student Asst. IV 1 0.00%
Admin & Finance Total
96 75.78%
Student Recruitment (VCSS) Student Asst. II 6 100.00%
Other Student Success Offices Student Asst. I 4 100.00% Student Asst. II 3 66.67%
Student Success Total
13 92.31%
Off Campus N/A 3 66.67%
Campus Total
126 76.98%
Excel Centers
UCCS has academic support centers for five distinct subject areas: communication, languages and social
sciences, mathematics, science, and writing. These centers, known as the Excel Centers, offer academic
support to all students enrolled. For fall of 2014, over 55% (n=966) of incoming freshmen were shown to
have visited one of the five centers for a minimum of one visit and 73% of those visiting were retained;
however, the retention rates vary among center usage. Freshmen who used the writing and math
centers were retained at a higher rate than students who had used the other centers. Students who did
not visit a center had a retention rate of 60%.
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Excel Center Cohort (N) Retention Rate Writing 472 80%
No visits 1279 62% 1 visit 317 79% 2 or more visits 155 81%
Language 236 69%
No visits 1516 67% 1 visit 168 67% 2 or more 68 76%
Communication 256 73%
No visits 1495 66% 1 visit 180 76% 2 or more visits 76 67%
Math 165 82%
No visits 1587 65% 1 visit 56 82% 2 or more visits 109 83%
Science 309 72%
No visits 1443 66% 1 visit 79 70% 2 or more visits 230 73%
Number of Excel Centers Visited
Of the fall 2014 incoming freshmen, 948 visited at least one Excel tutoring Center. Those students who
visited several centers during the semester had higher retention rates than those who did not make a
tutoring center visit during the term.
Number of Excel Centers Visited Cohort (N) Retention Rate Any Center 948 72.99%
1 Center 565 69.20% 2 Centers 290 76.55% 3 or More Centers 93 84.94%
No Centers 804 59.95%
Success Net
Success Net (SN) is an online resource that was developed through a collaborative effort with The UCCS
Office of First Year Experience (FYE), the UCCS College of Engineering, and the UCCS Psychology
Department with the purpose of assisting incoming students with the transition into college. Success
Net provides tools and self-assessments in three domains: Academic, Campus Community, and
Health/Wellness, which students can access as needed.
There were 73 freshman participants in fall of 2014 and 85% were retained.
Participation: Yes or No Cohort (N) Retention Rate
SuccessNet Participants 73 84.93%
No Participation 1678 66.27%
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Financial Aid
Adjusted Gross Income
Adjusted gross income is a variable that is collected when a student completes the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In fall of 2014, 1566 freshmen applied for aid. Nine percent of those
applying for aid reported an adjusted gross income of $0. Retention rates for students reporting AGI
vary from 53.87% for those with an AGI between $15,000 and $25,000 to 78.38% for those reporting an
AGI of $155,000 to $200,000.
Adjusted Gross Income Cohort (N) Retention Rate
$0 139 65.47%
$1 to $15K 103 70.87%
$15K to $25K 87 52.87%
$25K to $35K 93 68.82%
$35K to $45K 94 61.70%
$45K to $55K 90 70.00%
$55K to $65K 103 62.14%
$65K to $75K 86 70.93%
$75K to $85K 96 63.54%
$85K to $95K 96 65.63%
$95K to $105K 94 70.21%
$105K to $125K 141 72.34%
$125K to $155K 134 66.42%
$155K to $200K 111 78.38%
$200K or more 99 70.71%
Did Not Apply For Aid 186 62.37%
Aid Awarded
Approximately 89% of UCCS freshmen applied for financial aid and 78% were awarded aid for the 2014-
2015 aid year. The aid awarded ranged from $63 to $40,313. The average award for financial aid
recipients was $11,332. Retention generally improves as the amount of aid increases.
Financial Aid Awarded (2015-2016) Cohort (N) Retention Rate
$0 Aid 206 64.08%
$1 to $1K 159 68.55%
$1K to $3K 122 73.08%
$3K to $5K 109 70.37%
$5K to $8K 228 63.89%
$8K to $12K 219 21.21%
$12K to $20K 243 66.67%
$20K to $25K 132 61.90%
$25K to $30K 103 34.48%
$30K+ 131 61.83%
Did Not Apply for Aid 187 62.03%
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Financial Aid Budget
The Financial Aid Budget is the average cost of attendance based on academic expenses, residency,
student level, and full-time enrollment minus the individual’s expected family contribution. The
academic year budget includes average allowances related to tuition and fees, books, supplies,
transportation, room and board, and other expenses.
For freshmen entering in fall 2014, the average financial aid budget was $24,991with a median budget
of $26,160 and range of $0 to $45,558. Eighty-five percent of freshmen had a budget greater than zero.
Retention rates are highest in groups who had a budget between $27K and $33K. Students with a
budget less than $20K had the lowest retention rate (53.85%).
Financial Aid Budget Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Applied for aid, 0 Budget 80 65.00%
< $20K 39 53.85%
$20K to $23K 378 67.72%
$23K to $25K 51 72.55%
$25K to $27K 679 64.36%
$27K to $30K 56 85.71%
$30K to $33K 164 77.44%
$33K + 118 67.80%
Did not apply for aid 187 62.03%
Other factors, such as the choice of program and full-time enrollment status are directly connected to
the budget; therefore, retention rates vary between budget categories throughout programs. Budget
groups that include a large proportion of undecided and “pre” plan students show lower retention rates
than groups related to degree granting programs.
Academic Program
Financial Aid Budget Range FT Cohort PT Cohort FT Retention
PT Retention
BUSNU < $20K 2 1 50.00% 0.00% $20K to $23K 30
80.00%
$23K to $25K 5
100.00%
$25K to $27K 55 1 76.36% 100.00% $27K to $30K 11 1 90.91% 100.00% $30K to $33K 11 1 90.91% 100.00% $33K + 22
77.27%
BUSNU Total 136 4 80.15% 75.00%
CLASU < $20K 15 7 46.67% 57.14% $20K to $23K 236 10 66.10% 60.00% $23K to $25K 25 9 68.00% 66.67% $25K to $27K 438 10 62.10% 30.00% $27K to $30K 31 1 87.10% 100.00% $30K to $33K 96 2 73.96% 50.00% $33K + 62 3 64.52% 66.67%
CLASU Total 903 42 65.34% 54.76%
19
EDUCU $20K to $23K 3
0.00% $25K to $27K 6
66.67%
EDUCU Total 9
44.44%
ENGRU < $20K 3 4 33.33% 100.00% $20K to $23K 45 5 68.89% 60.00% $23K to $25K 7 1 100.00% 0.00% $25K to $27K 80 1 71.25% 0.00% $27K to $30K 4
75.00%
$30K to $33K 26
88.46%
$33K + 11
54.55%
ENGRU Total 176 11 72.73% 63.64%
NURSU < $20K 2 2 100.00% 50.00% $20K to $23K 32 3 78.13% 100.00% $23K to $25K 1 2 100.00% 0.00% $25K to $27K 53 2 67.92% 100.00% $27K to $30K 7 71.43% $30K to $33K 18
66.67%
$33K + 11
81.82%
NURSU Total 124 9 72.58% 66.67%
PAFFU < $20K 2 1 0.00% 100.00% $23K to $25K 15
60.00%
$25K to $27K 32 2 59.38% 100.00% $27K to $30K
$30K to $33K 10
90.00%
$33K + 9
66.67%
PAFFU Total 68 3 63.24% 100.00%
Expected Family Contribution
According to the Department of Education’s Department of Federal Student Aid, Expected Family
Contribution (EFC) is an indexed number calculated by the Department of Education that institutional
financial aid offices use to determine both financial aid eligibility and amounts of federal financial aid
awards. Information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including
student dependency status, family income, family assets, and family size are all used to calculate the
EFC. A larger EFC indicates less overall financial need for the student. It should be noted that the EFC is
not the amount of money a family will have to pay nor is it the amount of aid awarded in an academic
year (https://fafsa.ed.gov/help/fftoc01g.htm).
In fall of 2014, 1565 incoming freshmen completed the FAFSA and the average EFC was $17,870 with a
median of $8,727. Students with an EFC less than $10,000 were retained at a lower rate (64.23%) than
students who had an EFC of $10,000 or more (71.44%). However, students who did not complete the
FAFSA to apply for aid had a retention rate of 62.37%.
20
Expected Family Contribution Cohort (N) Retention Rate
No EFC/No FAFSA 187 62.37%
$0 EFC 324 61.73%
$1 to $5,000 307 64.50%
$5,001 to $10,000 202 67.82%
$10,001 to $20,000 275 72.00%
$20,001 to $30,000 169 70.41%
$30,001 to $40,000 103 71.84%
$40,001 to $50,000 57 68.42%
$50,001 to $60,000 32 81.25%
$60,001 to $70,000 35 68.57%
$70,001 to $80,000 17 70.59%
$80,001+ 44 70.45%
Total 1752 67.05%
Unmet Need
Unmet need is the amount of the financial aid budget remaining after subtracting both the expected
family contribution and the total financial aid awarded to the student. In fall 2014, 71% of students
whose need was fully met were retained in comparison to 65% of those who had unmet need. The
retention rate declined among students with unmet need in excess of $16,000.
Unmet Need Cohort (N) Retention Rate Did Not Apply for Aid 186 62.36%
0 unmet need 564 71.28%
< $2K 54 85.19%
$2K-$4K 52 69.23%
$4K-$6K 65 73.85%
$6K-$8K 94 73.40%
$8K-$10K 93 69.89%
$10K-$12K 90 71.11%
$12K-$14K 93 68.82%
$14K-$16K 63 69.84%
$16K-$18K 68 51.47%
$18K-$20K 31 51.61%
$20K-$22K 33 30.30%
$22K-$24K 21 19.05%
$24K-$26K 9 55.56%
$26K+ 11 54.55%
21
Loans
Total Loans
Over half of our freshmen received loans (56%) ranging from $263 to $36,031. The average loan amount
granted was $11,167. Attrition is highest among students receiving either small loan totals (<$5,000) or
large loan totals ($35,000 or more).
Loan Totals Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Did not Apply for Aid 187 62.37%
$0 682 68.91%
$1 to $3,000 85 27.06%
$3,001 to $5,000 102 63.73%
$5,001 to $7,500 263 73.76%
$7,501 to $10,000 89 71.91%
$10,001 to $15,000 88 60.23%
$15,001 to $20,000 72 72.22%
$20,001 to $25,000 100 78.00%
$25,001 to $30,000 60 73.33%
$30,001 to $35,000 11 72.73%
$35,001 to $40,000 13 53.85%
Student Loans
Of the 1,565 students who applied for financial aid, 883 students received student loans (without parent
loans). The average loan amount for students who applied for aid was $3,548. The average loan amount
for those who received a loan was $6,289, the median was $5,500 and the range was $170 to $35,660.
Students who had a student loan disbursed during the fall term, had a retention rate of 66.5%. Students
with loans between $1 and $5,000 are retained at a rate of 47.69% while those with loan totals above
$5,000 are retained at a rate of 74.47%.
71%67%
72%68%
44%
52%
Resident Retention % Non-Resident Retention %
Unmet Need Aid
$0 Unmet Need $1 to $15,999 $16,000 or More
22
Total Loans (excluding parent loans) Cohort Retention Rate
$0 682 68.91%
<$1,000 44 61.36%
$1,001 to $2,000 20 35.00%
$2,001 to $3,000 64 23.44%
$3,001 to $4,000 94 61.70%
$4,001 to $5,000 38 44.74%
$5,001 to $6,000 299 75.59%
$6,001 to $7,000 165 74.55%
$7,001 to 10,000 85 75.29%
$10,001 to $15,000 32 68.75%
$15,001 to $20,000 18 77.78%
$20,001+ 24 62.50%
Did Not Apply for Aid 187 62.03%
Parent Loans
Loans made to students’ parents were disbursed as part of the total financial aid package for 305
students or 17.4% of the freshman cohort. Overall retention for students using this type of aid is slightly
higher (68.5%) than the cohort average; however it varies by the amount disbursed over the academic
year. The average parent loan total was $14,120, the median was $15,086 and loans ranged from
approximately $800 to $29,000 for the 2015 aid year.
Disbursed Parent Loans Cohort Total Retention Rate
<$2,500 9 66.67%
$2,500-$5,000 20 60.00%
$5,000 -$7,500 24 50.00%
$7,500 - $10,000 41 60.98%
$10,000-$12,500 27 59.26%
$12,500 -$15,000 30 70.00%
$15,000 - $17,500 54 79.63%
$17,500 - $20,000 69 76.81%
$20,000-$22,500 8 37.50%
$22,500+ 23 78.26%
Parent Loans 305 68.52%
No Parent Loans 1260 67.38%
Loans as Percent of Total Aid
In fall 2014, 43% of incoming freshmen who applied for financial aid received an aid package without a
student loan. The remaining 57% had loan packages that ranged from 5% to 100% of their total annual
aid. On average, students who received some type of loan aid had a loan to total aid ratio of 75%. Most
non-retained students received a large percentage of their aid from loans. Students who had a loan to
aid ratio of 80% or higher had a retention rate of 64% while students with a loan to aid ration less than
80% had a 69% retention rate.
23
Loan % of Total Aid Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Did Not Apply for Aid 186 62.37%
0.00% 683 68.81%
<30% 69 78.26%
31- 40% 71 60.56%
41- 50% 74 68.92%
51- 60% 49 65.31%
61- 70% 62 70.97%
71- 80% 71 70.42%
81- 90% 102 68.63%
91- 99% 84 65.48%
100% 301 62.79%
Grants
Total Grants
One third of our incoming freshman cohort received a grant as part of their student aid package with the
majority of grant aid coming from Federal Pell Grants. Students receiving grants had a slightly higher
retention rate than students who did not apply for aid. Persistence increases with higher levels of grant
awards. Students receiving grants that totaled less than $5,000 had a retention rate of 44.34%.
Grant Recipients Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Did Not Apply for Aid 186 62.37% Applied for Aid, Did Not Receive Grant Aid 1004 68.79% Received Grant Aid 562 65.48%
$1 to $1,000 60 65.00%
$1,001 to $2,000 25 24.00%
$2,001 to $3,000 56 25.00%
$3,001 to $4,000 27 62.96%
$4,001 to $5,000 48 37.50%
$5000 or less 212 44.33%
$5,001 to $6,000 70 71.42%
$6,001 to $8,000 45 77.77%
$8,001 to $9,000 43 69.76%
$9,001 to $10,000 178 82.02%
>$10,001 14 92.86%
$5,001 or more 350 78.29%
Colorado Student Grant or the UCCS Tuition Grant
Of the 562 entering freshmen who received grant aid at the start of the 2015 aid year, 258 received
grant aid that was not Pell related. Overall, students who received a grant other than Pell were retained
at a higher rate than students who were only Pell recipients.
24
Grant Type Cohort (N) Retention Rate CO Student Grant & CO Merit Grant 197 75% UCCS Tuition Grant 150 73% UCCS Merit Tuition Grant 89 72% Federal SEOG 149 73% Federal Pell Grant 522 64%
Pell Grants
Federal Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial
need. In fall of 2014, approximately 30% all incoming freshmen received a Pell grant for their first year
of instruction. As a group, students receiving Pell grants were retained at a lower rate than students
who applied for aid but did not receive a Pell Grant, but higher than students who did not applied for
financial aid. Additionally, freshmen receiving a Pell award greater than $3,000 for the aid year have a
higher retention rate than all the other student groups.
Pell Award Cohort (N) Retention Rate
$0 1054 69.26% $1 to $500 9 11.11% $501 to $1,000 18 44.44% $1,001 to $1,500 27 51.85% $1,501 to $2,000 26 61.54% $2,001 to $2,500 44 47.73% $2,501 to $3,000 52 26.92% $3,001 to $3,500 16 87.50% $3,501 to $4,000 26 73.08% $4,001 to $4,500 35 71.43% $4,501 to $5,000 21 61.90% $5,001 to $5,500 40 70.00% $5,501 to $6,000 198 78.28%
Received Any Pell 512 64.06%
Applied for aid total 1566 67.56%
No aid application 186 62.37%
Scholarships
Scholarship Source
Freshmen received scholarships from over 52 different sources (excluding athletics) in the 2015 aid year.
Overall, freshmen receiving scholarships were retained at a higher rate (74.81%) than those who did not
(62.13%).
Scholarships Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Applied for Aid, Received a Scholarship 675 74.81%
Institutional* 560 76.42%
Private* 243 72.83%
Other* 13 69.23%
Applied for Aid, No Scholarship Award 890 62.13%
Did not Apply for Aid 186 62.36% *Does not represent distinct headcounts as students often receive more than one type of scholarship within the same term.
25
Total Scholarships
Less than 40% of the fall 2014 incoming freshmen received scholarship aid; however, those that
received some type of scholarship award had a 74.58% retention rate compared to 62.17% retention
rate for those who did not receive a scholarship. Students receiving scholarships of $500 or less depart
at an alarming rate, their retention rate is 37.97% and transfer rate is almost 23%. Persistence increases
as the amount of the scholarship award increases with the exception of the $2500 to $3,000 range
where retention falls to 54%. Freshmen were granted scholarship from over 43 different scholarships in
the 2015 aid year.
Scholarship Totals Cohort (N) Retention Rate
no aid 186 62.36%
aid, no scholarship 890 62.13%
$1 to $500 79 37.97%
$500 to $1,000 254 81.50%
$1,001 to $1,500 70 80.00%
$1,501 to $2,000 52 84.62%
$2,001 to $2,500 47 70.21%
$2,501 to $3,000 31 54.84%
$3,001 to $3,500 18 83.33%
$3,501 to $4,000 20 90.00%
$4,001 to $4,500 9 77.78%
$4,501 to $5,000 30 76.67%
$5,001 to $10,000 41 82.93%
$10,001+ 24 87.50%
Athletic Scholarships
Sixty-five incoming freshmen received an athletic scholarship in the 2014-2015 aid year. Those who
received an athletic award had a retention rate of 80%, which is 13 percentage point higher than the
retention rate for the cohort as a whole.
Athletic Scholarship* Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Athletic Admin Scholarship 9 55.56%
Athletic Housing Scholarship 37 83.78%
Athletic Scholarship and C. Murray Athletic Endowment 4 100.00%
UCCS Athletic Scholarship 15 80.00% *Does not represent distinct headcounts as students often receive more than one type of scholarship within the same term.
Work Study
Work study is a part-time employment program that is partially subsidized by federal, state, or
institutional funds if the award is need-based, or it is subsidized by the state if the award is non-need-
based. Students must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for the program. In fall of 2014, 61
freshmen who applied for financial aid and who were enrolled at least half-time received a work study
award for the academic year. Forty-seven used work study during the fall 2014 semester. For those who
received an award, the retention rate was 74.46%
26
Work-Study Amount Cohort (N) Retention Rate
No work-study award 1401 72.1%
$1 to $2,000 11 45.5%
$2,001 to $3,000 9 67.0%
$3,001 to $4,000 16 87.5%
$4,001 + 11 90.9%
Federal, State, and Institutional Aid
Student aid is funded through the federal government, the state government, and the institution. Often
all three sources overlap. In fall of 2014, 60% of the cohort received federal aid, 41% received
institutional aid and 12.6% received some type of state aid. Students receiving federal aid only were
retained at a lower rate than students who received multiple types of aid or institutional aid only.
Source of Aid Cohort (N) Retention Rate Federal Aid 1058 65.87%
Federal Aid Only 472 56.77%
State Aid 221 76.56% State Aid Only 0 N/A
Institutional Aid 719 76.35% Institutional Aid Only 261 79.69%
No Aid (FASFA=Y) 246 61.78% No Aid (FASFA=N) 186 62.36%
Admissions Criteria
Application Dates
Fall 2014 freshmen began submitting applications for fall matriculation in May of 2013. Over 77% of
freshman applications were received over a 5-month period between September of 2013 and January of
2014. Earlier applications are related to a higher retention rate and late applications reflect persistence
that is lower than the cohort average. Students applying before December of the fall enrollment year
had a retention rate of 70.37% while those who applied after January had a retention rate of 59.44%.
Application Month Cohort (N) Retention Rate
June 2013 32 87.50%
July 2013 6 83.33%
August 2013 19 63.16%
September 2013 276 73.91%
October 2013 418 71.29%
November 2013 320 66.88%
December 2013 141 65.25%
January 2014 202 64.85%
February 2014 85 55.29%
March 2014 85 58.82%
April 2014 67 59.70%
May 2014 41 60.98%
June 2014 34 50.00%
July/August 2014 26 42.30%
27
Admit Type
Freshmen enter UCCS with varying educational backgrounds, and are categorized accordingly. In fall
2014, 72% of the cohort entered as first-time freshmen with no other CU college experience; 15% were
admitted as freshmen who had college experience at a different institution of higher education where
they earned less than 13 hours of transfer; and 11% had earned credit as a non-degree student at a
University of Colorado Institution. Retention rates for each group of students are noted in the table
below.
Admit Type Cohort (N) Retention Rate FR- Freshman 28 67.85% FRF- Freshman First Time - No CU 1266 65.63% FRN- Freshman Prior CU Non-degree 200 77.00% FRO- Freshman Prior Other College 257 66.14%
Window Admission Status
The Freshman Admission Index is a combination of students’ SAT or ACT scores and their high school
GPA or high school rank percentile. The Colorado Department of Higher Education developed the score
and incorporated it into state-wide admission policy. After indexing (or norming) the score, the
minimum Freshman Admission Index score for each institution was identified. Students who meet these
standards are admissible. For UCCS, the minimum index is 92. The Colorado School of Mines has the
highest index in the state (110) in comparison to UC Boulder (103) and UC Denver (93). Unqualified
students may be admitted “in the window” with an index below 92, but the policy recommends that no
more than 19% of and institution’s admits should fall below the window outlined in the admission
standards. After policy changes in 2008 and 2010, the “window status” also included admitted students
who did not meet the Higher Education Admission Requirements (HEAR), which required Colorado
students to have completed high school courses in certain subject areas. For example, a student who
graduated from high school in 2010 is expected to have completed 4 years of English, 4 years of Math, 3
years of Science, 3 years of Social Science, 1 year of Foreign Language, and 2 years of Academic Electives
before they meet the HEAR requirements. The retention rate among students who meet or exceed the
admission requirements is 70.15%, which is higher than the retention rate of students admitted in the
window (53.52%).
Index and HEAR Cohort (N) Retention %
High Index (102+), HEAR exempt 1104 73.01%
Meets Index, meets HEAR 290 59.31%
“Window” Admits: 284 53.52%
Meets Index, does not meet HEAR 164 54.88%
Below Index, meets HEAR 60 50.00%
Below Index, does not meet HEAR 60 53.33%
Other Exempt or Unknown 74 59.46%
Grand Total 1752 67.05%
Admissions Index
As mentioned above, per state policy, C.R.S 23 Articles 40-56, each 4-year institution within the state
has minimum academic requirements for new applicants. Index scores, are a large component in
28
determining admissions eligibility. According to Campus Solutions, entering freshmen in fall 2014 who
submitted the documentation needed for an index calculation, had an average index score of 107.39,
with a range of 77 to 139. The Campus Solutions index score may vary from scores calculated by the
Colorado Department of Higher Education.
Index Cohort (N) Retention Rate <92 133 51.88% 92 55 54.55% 93 19 57.89% 94 39 51.28% 95 47 53.19% 96 42 59.52% 97 61 52.46% 98 33 57.58% 99 68 64.71% 100 14 71.43% 101 66 63.64% 102 25 60.00% 103+ 1047 71.92%
No Index on Record 103 76.70%
Admissions Index Group
Student retention based on grouping of index scores are noted in the table below. Students who have
calculated index scores below the floor of 92 are retained at a lower rate than those who meet the
minimum admission index standard.
Index Group Cohort (N) Retained (N) Retention Rate N/A 103 79 76.70% <82 17 10 58.82% 82-91 171 59 34.50% 92-102 414 273 65.94% 103+ 1047 753 71.92%
High School GPA
Of the 1752 entering freshmen, 1736 submitted a high school grade point average during the admissions
process. The average high school GPA for the entering cohort was 3.31 and the median was 3.27.
Retention is highest for students who have a high school GPA that is 3.50 or higher.
High School GPA Cohort (N) Retention Rate <2.0 4 50.00% 2.0 - 2.4 82 36.58% 2.5 - 2.9 396 57.07% 3.0 - 3.4 638 65.51% 3.5 - 3.9 521 77.92% 4.0 95 84.21%
No GPA Record 16 75.00%
Total 1752 67.04%
29
Standardized Test Scores
ACT Examination Scores
ACT testing covers four components for basic benchmarking that include the areas of English, Math,
Reading, and Science. According to ACT, raw scores in each of areas are converted to a scaled scores
that range from 1 to 36. Ninety-two percent of entering freshmen submitted ACT test scores and 99%
submitted a combination of ACT and SAT test scores. Those that did not submit either ACT or SAT scores
were generally from a non-U.S. high school.
ACT Composite Scores
Composite scores, based on the maximum scores reported, ranged from 10 to 35 with a mean of 23.7
and median of 24. We observe higher retention when ACT composite scores are 22 or above. Students
who submitted ACT test scores, as a whole, had retention scores 11 points higher than students who did
not have an ACT score recorded in the system.
ACT Composite Percentile Groups Cohort (N) Retention Rate
</= 50th Percentile (scores 1 to 20) 341 56.60%
51st to 74th Percentile (scores 21 to 24) 655 68.09%
75th to 90th Percentile (scores 25 to 28) 453 73.07%
91st to 99th Percentile (scores 29+) 159 76.73%
Any Score Submitted 1608 67.91%
No Score 144 56.94%
ACT Composite Detail Cohort (N) Retention Rate
</=16 44 70.45%
17 38 71.05%
18 58 44.83%
19 85 51.76%
20 116 56.03%
21 160 65.63%
22 173 71.68%
23 160 68.13%
24 162 66.67%
25 164 78.66%
26 118 63.56%
27 93 70.97%
28 78 78.21%
29 54 70.37%
30 43 69.77%
31 40 87.50%
32 15 86.67%
33+ 7 85.71%
30
ACT English
Incoming freshmen had ACT English scores that ranged from 6 to 36. The average score for the English
component was 23.49 with a median of 23. Students with scores below 20 were retained at a lower rate
(63.03%) than students who scored above 20 (69.75%).
ACT English Percentile Groups Cohort (N) Retention Rate
< 50th Percentile (scores 1 to 19) 318 59.75%
51st to 74th Percentile (scores 20 to 24) 717 66.39%
75th to 90th Percentile (scores 25 to 29) 416 72.84%
91st to 99th Percentile (scores 30+) 157 78.34%
Any Score Submitted 1608 67.91%
No Score 144 56.94%
ACT English Detail Cohort (N) Retention Rate
</= 16 131 64.12%
17 35 57.14%
18 55 49.09%
19 97 60.82%
20 123 71.54%
21 150 70.67%
22 151 64.90%
23 138 62.32%
24 155 63.23%
25 134 70.15%
26 91 69.23%
27 61 73.77%
28 72 79.17%
29 58 75.86%
30 40 72.50%
31 29 75.86%
32 32 78.13%
33+ 56 83.93%
ACT Reading
Incoming freshmen submitted ACT reading scores ranging from 6 to 36. The average score was 24.07
and the median was 23. Students with reading score less than or equal to 21 were retained at a lower
rate (61.88%) than students that had a reading score of 22 or more (71.05%).
ACT Reading Percentile Groups Cohort (N) Retention Rate
< 50th Percentile (scores 1 to 20) 392 60.20%
51st to 74th Percentile (scores 21 to 24) 537 68.53%
75th to 90th Percentile (scores 25 to 30) 466 71.67%
91st to 99th Percentile (scores 31+) 213 72.30%
Any Score Submitted 1395 67.24%
No Score 144 56.94%
31
ACT Reading Detail Cohort (N) Retention Rate
</=16 89 66.29%
17 47 44.68%
18 50 58.00%
19 118 56.78%
20 88 68.18%
21 159 66.04%
22 93 67.74%
23 162 72.84%
24 123 66.67%
25 92 67.39%
26 82 78.05%
27 77 67.53%
28 66 74.24%
29 72 77.78%
30 77 66.23%
31 64 70.31%
32 63 61.90%
33+ 86 81.40%
ACT Math
Incoming freshmen submitted ACT math scores ranging from 14 to 36. The average ACT math score was
22.66 with a median of 23. Students with scores below 20 were retained at a lower rate (60.11%) than
students who scored above 20 (71.52%).
ACT Math Percentile Groups Cohort (N) Retention Rate
< 50th Percentile (scores 1 to 19) 416 59.62%
51st to 74th Percentile (scores 20 to 24) 635 67.09%
75th to 90th Percentile (scores 25 to 27) 430 73.26%
91st to 99th Percentile (scores 28+) 127 81.10%
Any Score Submitted 1608 67.91%
No Score 144 56.94%
ACT Math Detail Cohort (N) Retention Rate
</= 16 115 60.00%
17 118 63.56%
18 95 53.68%
19 88 60.23%
20 93 62.37%
21 112 69.64%
22 94 70.21%
23 156 66.67%
24 180 66.67%
25 145 70.34%
26 133 73.68%
27 91 73.63%
32
28 61 78.69%
29 66 80.30%
30 28 92.86%
31 12 75.00%
32 10 70.00%
33+ 11 72.72%
ACT Science
Incoming freshmen submitted ACT science scores ranging from 10 to 36. The average ACT math score
was 23.36 with a median of 23. Students with scores below 21 were retained at a lower rate (60.58%)
than students who scored 22 and above (70.75%).
ACT Science Percentile Groups Cohort (N) Retention Rate
< 50th Percentile (scores 1 to 20) 331 61.33%
51st to 74th Percentile (scores 21 to 23) 509 66.80%
75th to 90th Percentile (scores 23 to 27) 578 70.42%
91st to 99th Percentile (scores 28+) 190 75.76%
Any Score Submitted 1608 67.91%
No Score 144 56.94%
ACT Science Detail Cohort (N) Retention Rate
</= 16 46 69.57%
17 37 43.24%
18 46 60.87%
19 104 64.42%
20 98 61.22%
21 159 61.64%
22 200 67.50%
23 150 71.33%
24 190 71.05%
25 207 71.01%
26 93 61.29%
27 88 77.27%
28 42 73.81%
29 40 77.50%
30 32 68.75%
31 19 84.21%
32 24 70.83%
33+ 33 75.76%
SAT Examination Scores
Approximately 20% of fall 2014 freshmen submitted SAT scores. These scores are derived from the old
2015 SAT scoring scale where total scores for critical reading, writing, and math ranged from 600 to
2400 and section scores ranged from 200 to 800 for math and critical reading. SAT scoring methods
changed in 2016 to reflect vertical scaling. New scores are based on a 400 to 1600 point total scale, and
200 to 800 point scale for math and evidence based reading and writing. More information regarding
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scoring changes can be found online: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/educators/higher-
ed/scoring-changes/new-score-structure and the new score concordance provided by CollegeBoard can
be found here: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/higher-ed-brief-sat-concordance.pdf.
SAT Critical Reading Scores
For this cohort, Critical Reading SAT scores ranged from 340 to 730. The average SAT critical reading
score was 538 and the median was 540. Retention varies throughout the range of scores, however, they
increase slightly when scores pass in the 600 to 690 range. Students who submitted critical reading
scores were retained at a slightly higher rate (69.05%) than students who did not report a score
(66.53%).
SAT Critical Reading (Verbal) Percentile Groups Cohort (N) Retention Rate
< 50th Percentile (scores 200 to 490) 91 67.03%
51st to 74th Percentile (scores 500 to 570) 141 70.21%
75th to 90th Percentile (scores 580 to 650) 86 68.60%
91st to 99th Percentile (scores 660 to 800) 23 69.56%
Any Score Submitted 336 69.05%
No Score 1416 66.53%
SAT Critical Reading Score (verbal) Detail Cohort (N) Retention Rate
300 to 390 8 87.50%
400 to 490 83 65.06%
500 to 590 172 68.60%
600 to 690 68 73.53%
Over 700 5 60.00%
SAT Math Scores
SAT Math scores range from 300 to 780. The average SAT Math score is 544 with a median of 535. Like
with the SAT reading scores, retention increases as scores exceed 600.
SAT Math Percentile Groups Cohort (N) Retention Rate
< 50th Percentile (scores 200 to 500) 106 67.92%
51st to 74th Percentile (scores 510 to 590) 142 64.08%
75th to 90th Percentile (scores 600 to 680) 73 73.97%
91st to 99th Percentile (scores 690 to 800) 29 100.00%
Any Score Submitted 336 69.04%
No Score 1416 66.53%
SAT Math Detail Cohort (N) Retention Rate
300 to 390 5 100.00%
400 to 490 87 67.82%
500 to 590 156 63.46%
600 to 690 74 74.32%
Over 700 14 100.00%
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SAT Writing Scores
SAT writing scores range from 310 to 800. The average writing score for this cohort is 516 with a median
of 510. Retention rates increase slightly with SAT writing scores above 600.
SAT Writing Percentile Groups Cohort (N) Retention Rate
< 50th Percentile (scores 200 to 490) 107 70.09%
51st to 74th Percentile (scores 500 to 560) 121 65.28%
75th to 90th Percentile (scores 570 to 640) 55 67.27%
91st to 99th Percentile (scores 640+) 20 95.00%
Any Score Submitted 298 68.79%
No Score 1454 66.64%
SAT Writing Score Detail Cohort (N) Retention Rate
300 to 390 11 63.64%
400 to 490 116 68.10%
500 to 590 124 66.94%
600 to 690 42 73.81%
Over 700 5 100.00%
SAT Totals
In Campus Solutions, SAT totals are calculated by adding the SAT math score and SAT critical reading
score together. This is a different procedure than SAT scaled totals that include, critical reading, writing,
and math scores. Incoming freshmen have Campus Solutions calculated SAT totals that range from 710
to 1470. The average score is 1082 with a median of 1095. Retention rates for students with SAT total
scores follows the profile of retention based on SAT subject scores, and increase when totals are greater
than 1100. Percentile scores are not available for these internally calculated totals.
SAT Total Score Cohort (N) Retention Rate
700 to 790 7 85.71%
800 to 890 19 63.16%
900 to 990 61 70.49%
1000 to 1090 81 62.96%
1100 to 1190 94 69.15%
1200 to 1290 63 71.43%
1300 to 1390 7 100.00%
1400+ 4 75.00%
Math Placement Exams
Incoming students considering degree plans in science, engineering, business, psychology, secondary
education, or any pre-professional plan must take a math placement examination prior to registration if
they have not completed a course for credit in college algebra or higher. Cut scores for math placement
exams vary depending on the test, therefore, one student may take several placement exams to
determine the correct course placement level. Retention rates are higher for students who have higher
math placement test scores. More information regarding math placement policies and administration
can be found here: http://www.uccs.edu/math/math_placement_test_general_information.html
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Math Placement Exam Cohort (N) Retention Rate
M0099 Intermediate Algebra 302 68.21%
< 75 73 63.01%
75 - 84 73 69.86%
85 + 114 68.42%
100 42 73.81%
M1040 College Algebra 787 71.79%
< 75 509 71.12%
75 - 84 123 71.54%
85 + 127 70.87%
100 28 89.29%
M1050 Pre-Calculus 523 71.89%
< 75 164 65.85%
75 - 84 119 70.59%
85 + 196 76.53%
100 44 77.27%
M1120 Calculus for Business and Economics 87 78.16%
< 75 52 75.00%
75 - 84 17 76.47%
85 + 18 88.89%
100 N/A N/A
M1350 Calculus I 255 74.51%
< 75 169 73.96%
75 - 84 41 75.61%
85 + 45 75.56%
100 N/A N/A
No math placement scores 678 58.55%
Academic Preparation
Starting Academic Level
Due to concurrent enrollment and credit earned through non-traditional means prior to high school
graduation we have students entering who are first-time freshmen with enough credit to be classified at
a higher academic level. In fall of 2014, 3.5% of the entering freshman class were classified as
sophomores or higher. As can be expected by their previous academic experience, the retention rate
for these students is higher than the cohort average of 67%.
Entering Academic Level Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Freshman 1690 66.74%
Sophomore 41 70.73%
Junior or higher 21 81.95%
Grand Total 1752 67.05%
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Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and CLEP Credit
Many incoming students earn college credit while enrolled in high school through both the Advanced
Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate Programs (IB). Additional pre-collegiate experience can
be gained through participation in high school concurrent programs and through the College-Level
Examination Program (CLEP). Students who took at least one AP exam have a retention rate of 75.97%;
students who took at least one IB exam have a retention rate of 69.84% and students who received
credit for at least one CLEP exam have a retention rate of 80%.
Advanced Placement
Over 30% of freshmen entered with Advanced Placement coursework. The retention rate for these
students increase with the volume of AP examinations and with increased exam scores. Overall students
who had AP experience were retained by 13.5 percentage points higher (or a 21.64% difference) than
students without AP experience.
Total AP Test Frequency Cohort (N) Retained %
1 152 67.11%
2 131 76.34%
3 105 79.05%
4 77 77.92%
5 49 81.63%
6 48 77.08%
7 or more 29 93.10%
Total AP 591 75.97%
None 1161 62.45%
AP grades examinations on a 5 point scale with 5 being the highest score available and 1 being the
lowest. According to CollegeBoard, the AP program administrator, mid score of “3” indicates that the
student has proven themselves capable of doing entry-level college work. According to the UCCS Office
of Degree Audit and Transfer Credit, UCCS grants variable college credit for AP examination scores that
is dependent upon the AP exam taken and the exam score received. The lowest score that can be used
for transfer credit at UCCS is currently a 3.
In fall of 2014, over half of the students submitting AP test scores scored a “qualified” (3) or better on
one of their exams. Students take multiple AP examinations and earn varied scores in different topics,
therefore, the retention rate corresponding to the exam scores in the table below does not reflect a
“one score to one person” persistence measure.
AP Exam Score Cohort Exam Score Retention %
5 (extremely well qualified) 70 84.29%
4 (well qualified) 184 79.89%
3 (qualified) 316 77.85%
2 (possibly qualified) 339 76.11%
1 (no recommendation) 222 76.58%
No AP Test 1160 62.45%
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International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate Programme (IB) is accelerated high school programming for students
age 16 and older that is comprised of six subject groups (language and literature, language acquisition,
social sciences, mathematics, and the arts). UCCS provides transfer credit for IB exams based on the
student’s course of study and their exam score. Generally, transfer credit is not awarded to students
who receive less than a 4 on an IB exam. In fall of 2014, 3.5% of our incoming freshmen submitted IB
scores for credit. Students with IB experience were retained 2.94 percentage points higher than
students who did not have IB experience.
Exams (N) Cohort (N) Retention % 3 or fewer 15 66.67% 4 to 6 7 42.86% 7 41 75.61%
Total IB 63 69.84%
No IB Exam 1689 66.90%
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
To receive transfer credit for CLEP examinations at UCCS, students must score a minimum of 50 on the
CLEP exam. Transfer credit applicability varies by college and program. Ten first-year students received
some type of transfer credit through the College Level Examination Program. Out of the ten that
entered in 2014, eight or 80% were retained in fall of 2015.
Freshman Enrollment, Early Starters
A small number of freshmen entered in the summer term of 2014 (n=20); the retention rate for summer
freshmen was 7.09 percentage points lower than freshmen who entered in the fall 14 term.
Summer Enrollment Cohort (N) Retention Rate Yes 20 60.00% No 1732 67.09%
High School Concurrent Students
Since 2010, UCCS has had several high school concurrent programs that serve students in different ways.
They all provide an opportunity for exposure to college-level coursework before high school graduation.
CU Succeed is college material delivered directly by the high school during the regular school day by
honorarium faculty at a reduced tuition rate; Project Lead the Way is a STEM centered program that
provides nationally standardized, project-based courses that prepare students for college-level work and
culminate with a student assessment, which colleges and universities can use to determine if a student
earns college credit; The Adelina Gomez Scholar Program is a summer program where high school
juniors can earn college credit while participating in a college experience on-campus prior to high
school graduation; Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) was a program that is now inactive that
allowed the school districts to expand their offerings for students who are ready for college-level work
while still enrolled in high-school; the standard concurrent offering is provided for high school seniors
who have completed their coursework for high school graduation prior to the end of their senior year or
students older than 16 who choose to pay out-of-pocket for more advanced coursework; and the
PreCollegiate Program is a college readiness program for first-generation students who are interested in
a college education.
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To determine whether high school concurrent enrollment students had a different retention rate than
those not involved, UCCS student records were searched beginning in 2010 to identify if incoming
freshmen had participated in a concurrent program offered by UCCS between fall of 2010 and summer
term of 2014. Almost 10% of the incoming freshman class had participated in some type of high school
concurrent enrollment at UCCS in the four years prior to their 2014 freshman year. Overall, students
who participated in one of the programs listed above were retained at a higher rate than students who
do not have any UCCS high school concurrent enrollment history.
UCCS Freshman Concurrent Enrollment Cohort (N) Retention Rate
High School PSEO/Gomez/Proj. Lead Way 12 75.00%
Non-Degree HS Concurrent 36 77.77%
Non-Degree HS CU Succeed 101 82.17%
Non-Degree HS PreCollegiate 17 70.58%
Total Concurrent Participation 165 80.00%
No Concurrent Participation 1587 65.65%
Transfer Credit
In fall 2014, approximately 30% of the incoming freshmen had some type of prior transfer credit applied
to their academic record; these freshmen were all retained at a higher rate than students who did not
have transfer hours recorded in Campus Solutions at the end of their first term.
Total Transfer Hours Cohort (N) Retention Rate
0 Hours 1204 64.12%
1 to 12 346 72.25%
13 to 24 131 77.86%
25 to 36 31 70.97%
37 to 48 14 64.29%
48 to 60 15 66.67%
61 to 72 7 85.71%
72 to 84 4 75.00%
Total Cumulative Hours
At the end of the fall 2014 semester, incoming freshman had earned cumulative credit hours ranging
from 0 to 111 (including transfer hours). The average cumulative credit earned was 17.73 hours and the
median earned was 15.
Total Cumulative Hours Cohort (N) Retention Rate
6 or fewer 159 15.72%
7 to 15 827 65.18%
16 to 23 430 79.77%
24 to 30 159 77.36%
31 to 45 124 82.26%
46 to 60 25 72.00%
61 to 75 16 87.50%
76+ 12 83.33%
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Academic Characteristics
Academic Program and Plan
Freshman retention varies greatly by both academic program and academic plan. Entering freshmen
either declare a course of study or major in a degree granting program or in a course of study that
requires transfer to a degree granting program before graduation (e.g. undecided or a pre/prep
program). In fall of 2014, 58% of entering freshmen enrolled in degree granting programs*, with a
retention rate of 72%. The remaining 42% of freshmen who were in an undecided or pre/prep program,
had a 61% retention rate. Freshmen enrolled in colleges with higher admissions standards (Business,
Engineering and Nursing) all had retention rates greater than 73%.
Program Primary Academic Plan Cohort (N) Retention Rate
College of Business Undergrad (BUSNU) 162 76.54%
Accounting (ACCT-BSBU) 10 90.00% Business Administration (BI) 9 77.78% Business Administration (BSBU) 8 50.00% Finance (FNCE-BSBU) 13 76.92% Information Systems (INFS-BSBU) 4 100.00% International Business (INTB-BSBU) 9 88.89% Management (MGMT-BSBU) 8 75.00% Marketing (MKTG-BSBU) 7 71.43% Sport Management (SPTM-BSBU) 32 87.50%
BUSN Undeclared (UDBU) 62 69.35%
College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences Undergrad (CLASU) 1284 65.42%
Anthropology (ANTH-BA) 7 28.57% Biochemistry (BCBA-BA) 10 80.00% Biochemistry (BCBS-BS) 13 92.31% Biology (BLBS-BS) (BIOL-BA) 99 72.72% Chemistry (CHEM-BA) 9 77.78% Chemistry (CMBS-BS) 13 61.54% Communication (COMM-BA) 36 52.78% Economics (ECON-BA) 5 80.00% English (ENGL-BA) 38 68.42% Geography/Environment Studies (GEEV-BA) 9 66.67% History (HIST-BA) 25 60.00%
Mathematics, BA (MTBA-BA & MATH-BA)) 5 80.00% Mathematics, BS (MTBS-BS) 4 50.00% Philosophy (PHIL-BA) 1 100.00% Physics/Energy Science (PHES-BS) 14 64.29% Political Science (PSCI-BA) 13 92.31% Psychology (PSYC-BA) 95 73.68% Sociology (SOCI-BA) 10 60.00% Spanish (SPAN-BA) 3 100.00% Visual & Performing Arts (VAPA-BA) 39 66.67%
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CLASU Degree Granting Subtotal 448 69.64%
CLAS Undeclared (UDLS) 281 61.21% Pre-Business (PRBU) 119 59.66% Pre-Dentistry (PRDE) 1 100.00% Pre-Education (PRED) 11 63.64% Pre-Engineering (PREN) 123 61.79% Pre-Health Care (PRHC) 13 53.85% Pre-Journalism & Mass Comm. (PRJR) 1 100.00% Pre-Medicine (PRMD) 9 77.78% Pre-Nursing (PRNU) 103 56.31% Pre-Pharmacy (PRPH) 2 0.00% Pre-Physical Therapy (PRPT) 6 50.00% Pre-Veterinary Medicine (PRVT) 5 20.00%
CLASU Pre and Prep Program Subtotal 674 59.94%
College of Education (EDUCU) 12 41.67% Pre-Inclusive Early Child Educ. (EDBI) (BICE-BI) 12 41.67%
College of Engineering and Applied Science (ENGRU) 223 74.44% Computer Engineering (CPEN-BS) 23 78.26% Computer Science (BICS-BI) 8 75.00% Computer Science (CSCI-BS) 51 74.51% Computer Security (BISC-BI) * 66.67% Electrical Engineering (BIEL-BI) 3 100.00% Electrical Engineering (ELEN-BS) 18 72.22% Engineering Prep Program (ENPR) 5 100.00% Game Design & Development (BIGD-BI) 18 77.78% Mechanical Engineering (MEEN-BS) 94 71.28%
Nursing and Health Sciences Undergrad (NURSU) 148 73.65% Health Care Science (HCSC-BS) 82 68.29% Nursing Prep (NUPR)* 66 80.30%
School of Public Affairs (PAFFU) 84 64.29% Criminal Justice (CRJU-BA) 84 64.29%
Grand Total 1751 67.05% *NUPR is the entering point for all qualified BSN freshmen.
Major Change
Major Switching
Almost 15%, or 259 freshmen, changed their major between the fall 2014 and spring 2015 terms. Over
72% of those who changed their major were retained to the fall 2015 term. For those who did not
change major, 234 departed before the spring 2015 term.
Major Switching Cohort (N) Retention Rate Switched Major 259 72.20% Did not Switch Major 1493 65.50%
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Sankey Diagram for Fall 2014 Freshmen
The Sankey Diagram below provides a visual representation of the of the persistence behavior of the fall
2014 incoming freshman cohort. Students’ persistence or departure is summarized by primary program
of enrollment. The figure provides a scaled image of what portions of each population is retained in
their original major, what portion of the population is retained with a major change, what portion of the
population departs.
UCCS 20142015 Retention Behavior uccs.edu/ir Data from the UCCS 2014 End of Term Enrollment Snapshot, IPEDS Freshman Cohort
Acknowledgement for Sankey Diagram design to Mike Bostok
Letters, Arts, and Sciences
Retained in Major
Public Affairs
Nursing and Health Science
Business
Engineering and Applied Science
Undecided/Undeclared
Pre or Prep Program
Dropped Out/Transferred
Switched to Public Affairs
Switched to Letters, Arts, & Sciences
Switched to Pre or Prep Switched to Undecided
Switched to Engineering Switched to Business
Switched to Nursing/ Health Sci
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Undecided Students: Major Change
A majority of freshmen that switched majors (n=147) started their fall 2014 career with either and
undecided major or a major that falls into the “pre-major” grouping. Of the 147 freshmen in this group,
98 selected a major in a degree granting program and we retained at a rate of 75.51%, those that
switched into a different undecided or “pre-major” program were retained at a rate of 71.43%. Both
groups of undecided and “pre-major” students who switched were retained at a much higher rate
(74.29%) than those who did not select a different major before spring 2015 end of term (57.22%).
Full-time Status and Academic Load
Of the 1752 first-time students that enrolled in fall term of 2014, 95% enrolled in 12 or more credit
hours and were considered full-time while 5% enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours and had an
enrollment status of part-time. Freshmen who attempted 13 or fewer credit hours during their first
semester were retained at a much lower rate (58.44%) than students who attempted 14 or more
(72.61%).
Fall 2014 Plan Spring 2015 Plan Grouping Cohort (N) Retention Rate
PRBU To Degree Granting Major 9 66.67% To Other "Undecided" or “Pre-Major” 8 87.50% Did Not Switch 102 56.86%
PRED To Degree Granting Major 4 75.00% To Other "Undecided" or “Pre-Major” 2 100.00% Did Not Switch 5 40.00%
PREN To Degree Granting Major 12 83.33% To Other "Undecided" or “Pre-Major” 9 55.56% Did Not Switch 102 59.80%
PRNU To Degree Granting Major 12 75.00% To Other "Undecided" or “Pre-Major” 3 0.00% Did Not Switch 88 55.68%
Other "Pre" To Degree Granting Major 9 77.78% To Other "Undecided" or “Pre-Major” 2 100.00% Did Not Switch 26 42.31%
UDBU To Degree Granting Major 7 85.71% To Other "Undecided" or “Pre-Major” Did Not Switch 55 67.27%
UDLS To Degree Granting Major 52 75.00% To Other "Undecided" or “Pre-Major” 18 77.78% Did Not Switch 211 56.40%
All To Degree Granting Major 98 75.51%
To Other "Undecided" or “Pre-Major” 42 71.43%
Did Not Switch 589 57.22%
Switched Major Total 140 74.29%
Did Not Switch Major Total 589 57.22%
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IPEDS Academic Load Main & Extd. Studies Credit Hours Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Part-time (IPEDS) 3 10 60.00% 4-5 3 100.00% 6 9 44.44% 7 4 25.00% 8 3 66.67% 9 22 54.55% 10 25 44.00% 11 16 56.25%
Total Part-time
92 52.17%
Full-time (IPEDS) 12 285 57.89% 13 316 60.76% 14 211 65.40% 15 496 74.19% 16 230 71.30% 17 85 80.00% 18 34 82.35% 19+ 3 100.00%
Total Full-time
1660 67.83%
Coursework & Performance
Compass Curriculum
The UCCS general education requirements for undergraduates at UCCS is called the Compass
Curriculum, and has recently been redesigned to incorporate high impact practices for “retention,
graduation, and professional development” according to research recommendations provided by the
American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). The program, consists of seven critical
components, which include a Gateway Experience, Navigate Courses, Writing Intensive Courses,
Sustainability Courses, Inclusiveness Courses, and Summit Experience. Beginning fall 2014, all freshmen
were required to take a Gateway Experience course followed by three Explore courses, which are
intended to provide a broad view of discipline specific perceptions focused on science, humanities, and
social science.
In fall of 2014, 1,476 freshmen enrolled in one or more courses that were identified with a Compass
Curriculum course attribute in Campus Solutions (excluding Gateway Experience which is addressed in
the next section). Freshmen who avoided courses within compass curriculum had a 63.41% retention
rate and students who enrolled in one or more of these courses had a retention rate of 67.68%.
Number of Compass Curriculum Courses Attempted: First Term Cohort (N) Retention Rate
0 276 63.41%
1 372 70.70%
2 682 66.57%
3 310 63.87%
4+ 112 75.00%
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GPS Seminar Section and Grade Distribution
GPS Section
The Gateway Program Seminar (GPS) is the first required course within the Compass Curriculum
requirements. In fall of 2014, 92% of the incoming freshmen enrolled in one of 38 GPS sections.
Retention for students enrolled ranged among courses from 52% to 89%.
Freshman Seminar Title and Section Enrolled (N) Retention Rate Sustainable Me (001) 27 62.96% Rotten Tomatoes (002) 43 62.79% Unreality (003) 59 67.80% Globetrotters (004) 28 64.29% Survivor (005) 60 70.00% Driven (006) 48 54.17% School in the Woods (007) 28 67.86% Storytelling: Soaps/ Star Trek (008) 32 62.50% Mindstorms (009) 26 69.23% "25" (010) 46 65.22% Modern Family (011) 39 56.41% Flying High (012) 16 68.75% You Think You Can Speak? (013) 46 71.74% Restore (014) 25 72.00% DOA (015) 30 70.00% Homicide (016) 49 69.39% Off and Running (017) 67 65.67% Studio A (018) 47 61.70% Serenity Now (019) 48 56.25% You Majored in What? (020) 33 66.67% Gray Matters (021) 122 89.34% Sleuth (022) 23 73.91% Baseball (023) 66 75.76% Tech Revolution (024) 46 76.09% Head of the Class (025) 49 55.10% Family Tree (026) 46 78.26% Heroes (027) 43 58.14% React to the Past (028) 53 52.83% Learning Liberty (029) 23 52.17% Football (030) 58 65.52% Club Med (031) 48 87.50% Club Med (032) 47 61.70% Numbers (033) 30 73.33% Be Your Own Boss (034) 30 66.67% Circle of Life (035) 46 71.74% Link In! (036) 32 71.88% Dig Deeper (037) 44 70.45% Flying High (038) 16 68.75%
Total GPS Enrollment 1618 68.36% No GPS Enrollment 133 51.13%
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GPS Grade Distribution
Not only was GPS course selection important, but the grade a student earns in freshman seminar is
important too. Retention rates climb with course grades, students who earn a B+ or better in the course
have a retention rate of 79%, while students who earn a B or less, without withdrawing or receiving an
incomplete have a retention rate of 50%.
GPS Grade Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A 752 81.25%
A- 207 73.91%
B+ 112 71.43%
B 210 65.24%
B- 63 57.14%
C+ 31 58.06%
C 78 47.44%
C- 29 48.28%
D+ 7 28.57%
D 19 15.79%
D- 5 0.00%
F 59 10.17%
I 3 100.00%
W 43 13.95%
No GPS Enrollment 133 51.13%
English and Math Prerequisites
Prerequisite coursework or placement examinations are often required for completion of core
curriculum courses. Most frequently, underprepared students are required to enroll in English 1300, the
first of the rhetoric and writing series and/or Math 90/99, which are designed to improve students’ basic
mathematical skills to prepare them for college-level algebra.
English 1300 is the first half of the rhetoric and writing core coursework required for incoming freshmen
who have earned either a score of 18 or under on the English ACT exam or a critical reading score of 450
or less on the SAT. In fall 2014, 206 incoming freshmen were enrolled in English 1300, these students
had a 60.19% retention rate.
To be eligible to enroll in college-level algebra, a student must either complete Math 99 or score
between 50% and 86% on the university’s algebra placement exam. An incoming student scoring less
than 50% on the algebra placement exam is required to take the basic math 99 placement exam and
subsequent scoring will determine whether the student is eligible to enroll in Math 99 or Math 90. In fall
2014, 61 freshmen enrolled in either math 99 or Math 90, and their overall retention rate was 63.30%.
Approximately 13% of the cohort (224 unduplicated students) registered for English 1300, Math 90, or
Math 99 to satisfy prerequisites for higher level math and English courses. Overall those who enrolled in
one or more of these courses were retained at a lower rate (59.82%) than those who were not enrolled
in one of these courses (68.06%).
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Prerequisite Course Cohort (N) Retention %
English 1300 206 60.19%
No English 1300 1545 67.96%
Math 90 20 55.00%
No Math 90 1731 67.19%
Math 99 41 65.85%
No Math 99 1710 67.08%
English Coursework
During their first term, 60% Sixty percent of the fall 2014 entering freshmen cohort enrolled in English
1310 or English 1410. Students earning a B- or higher in English 1310, the first core writing course
required by all students at the university, have a higher rate of retention than students earning a C+ or
lower. Additionally students who enroll in English 1410, which is the second required core writing
course for all incoming students, are retained at a higher rate (87%) than those who earn a D or F grade
in the course or who enroll in English 1310.
English 1310 Rhetoric and Writing Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A or A- 288 82.29%
B+, B, B- 337 75.37%
C+, C, C- 186 65.05%
D+, D, D- 47 55.32%
F 108 16.67%
I or W 58 24.14%
All Enrolled 1024 65.43%
Did Not Enroll 728 69.23%
English 1410 Rhetoric and Writing II
A or A- 46 89.13%
B+, B, B- 40 85.00%
C+, C, C- 13 84.62%
D+, D, D- 3 0.00%
F 11 9.09%
I or W 7 28.57%
All Enrolled 120 74.17%
Did Not Enroll 1632 66.48%
English 1310 or 1410
Enrolled 1144 66.34%
Did Not Enroll 608 68.25%
Math Coursework
Freshman level math coursework encompassed preparatory coursework such as Math 90 and Math 99
along with general education mathematics spanning college level algebra to calculus. In fall 2014, 35% of
the incoming freshman cohort enrolled in one or more of the courses listed below. Students who earned
grades higher than a C- in this coursework had a higher retention rate than students with a D+ or lower.
Additionally all students who enrolled in a general education mathematics course were retained at a
47
higher rate than those who did not enroll in math during their first term with the exception of
Elementary Functions of Calculus.
Math 1040 College Algebra Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A or A- 69 86.96%
B+, B, B- 83 74.70%
C+, C, C- 66 84.85%
D+, D, D- 28 53.57%
F 24 29.17%
I or W 15 20.00%
All Enrolled 270 74.07%
Did Not Enroll 1467 66.19%
MATH 1050 Elementary Functions of Calculus
A or A- 12 91.67%
B+, B, B- 26 65.38%
C+, C, C- 38 81.58%
D+, D, D- 16 56.25%
F 20 40.00%
I or W 17 47.06%
All Enrolled 129 65.12%
Did Not Enroll 1623 67.16%
Math 1120 Calculus for Business & Economics
A or A- 28 96.43%
B+, B, B- 11 63.64%
C+, C, C- 6 83.33%
D+, D, D- 2 100.00%
F 3 0.00%
I or W 2 0.00%
All Enrolled 52 78.85%
Did Not Enroll 1700 66.65%
MATH 1350 Calculus I
A or A- 32 90.63%
B+, B, B- 36 80.56%
C+, C, C- 39 84.62%
D+, D, D- 6 83.33%
F 20 30.00%
I or W 15 60.00%
All Enrolled 148 75.00%
Did Not Enroll 1604 66.27%
Math 1040, 1050, 1120 or 1350
Enrolled 614 71.49%
Did Not Enroll 1138 64.58%
48
Biology Coursework
Over 20% (N=354) of the incoming freshman cohort enrolled in one or more of the following biology
courses in the fall 2014 term. As with mathematics and English, students who earn course grades of A
or B tend to have a higher retention rate than those earning C grades and below.
BIOL 1010 Introduction to Human Biology Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A or A- 13 100.00%
B+, B, B- 36 80.56%
C+, C, C- 30 40.00%
D+, D, D- 12 50.00%
F, I, or W 8 12.5%
All Enrolled 99 61.62%
Did Not Enroll 1653 67.33%
BIOL 1300 General Biology I: Organismic Biology Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A or A- 26 92.31%
B+, B, B- 51 80.39%
C+, C, C- 43 67.44%
D+, D, D- 24 70.83%
F, I, or W 41 46.34%
All Enrolled 185 70.27%
Did Not Enroll 1567 66.62%
BIOL 1310 General Biology: Organismic Biology Laboratory Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A or A- 56 87.50%
B+, B, B- 73 73.97%
C+, C, C- 20 55.00%
D+, D, D- 12 50.00%
F, I, or W 19 21.05%
All Enrolled 180 68.89%
Did Not Enroll 1572 66.79%
BIOL 2010 Human Anatomy and Physiology Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A or A- 12 91.67%
B+, B, B- 22 86.36%
C+, C, C- 17 76.47%
D+, D, D- 1 100.00%
F, I, or W 13 69.23%
All Enrolled 65 81.54%
Did Not Enroll 1687 66.45%
Chemistry
In fall 2014, 24% of the incoming cohort enrolled in one or more of the chemistry courses listed below.
Both Chemistry 1001 and 1201 are designed for students who have not taken a Chemistry course in high
school or have not passed a high school or college level algebra course. Students who are academically
prepared to enroll in General Chemistry (Chem 1301) are retained at a higher rate than students who
49
have enrolled in Preparatory Chemistry or Introduction to Chemistry. Students earning a B or above in
Preparatory Chemistry (Chem 1001) or Introduction to Chemistry (Chem 1201) are retained at a higher
rate than students earning a C+ or lower.
CHEM 1001 Preparatory Chemistry Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A or A- 11 100.00%
B+, B, B- 19 89.47%
C+, C, C- 16 43.75%
D+, D, D- 6 83.33%
F, I, or W 21 38.09%
All Enrolled 73 65.75%
Did Not Enroll 1679 67.06%
CHEM 1201 Introduction to Chemistry Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A or A- 28 78.57%
B+, B, B- 63 79.37%
C+, C, C- 43 62.79%
D+, D, D- 12 50.00%
F, I, or W 29 20.68%
All Enrolled 175 63.43%
Did Not Enroll 1577 67.41%
CHEM 1301 General Chemistry I Cohort (N) Retention Rate
A or A- 35 88.57%
B+, B, B- 57 82.46%
C+, C, C- 44 75.00%
D+, D, D- 6 33.33%
F, I, or W 41 39.02%
All Enrolled 183 70.49%
Did Not Enroll 1569 66.60%
First Semester Course Withdrawals
Freshmen who withdraw from a course between the term census date and the end of term persist at a
much lower rate (42.27%) than students who did not withdraw (71.10%).
Count of “W” at End of Term Cohort (N) Retention Rate
1 180 51.67%
2 23 21.74%
3 9 33.33%
4 or more 34 8.82%
Any “W” 246 42.27%
No "W" 1505 71.10%
Grand Total 1751 67.05%
50
Grades
Fall 2014 End of Term GPA
Retention rates for first year freshmen are highest in groups with an end of term GPA 2.75 or higher.
End of Term GPA Cohort (N) Retention Rate
0 83 7.32%
0.1- 1.49 149 18.12%
1.50- 1.99 108 50.93%
2.00- 2.49 207 64.25%
2.50- 2.74 120 65.83%
2.75- 2.99 167 71.26%
3.00- 3.24 228 78.07%
3.25- 3.74 438 82.42%
3.75- 3.99 179 84.92%
4.00 73 87.67%
Grand Total 1752 67.05%
Count of Earned Grades
Students who failed to earn at least one “A” grade in their first term persisted at a similar rate as
students who earn a “D-“or “F”.
Grade 0 Earned 1 Earned 2 Earned 3 Earned 4 Earned 5 Earned 6 Earned
(N) % (N) % (N) % (N) % (N) % (N) % (N) %
A 674 47% 450 73% 284 80% 209 85% 93 89% 37 89% 5 100%
A- 1128 61% 487 78% 114 77% 16 81% 7 86%
B+ 1255 63% 419 76% 69 78% 9 56%
B 871 59% 611 74% 213 77% 51 78% 6 50%
B- 1340 66% 356 70% 51 75% 5 80%
C+ 1437 67% 285 65% 26 65% 4 100%
C 1224 68% 406 66% 103 59% 16 63% 3 50%
C- 1553 68% 181 55% 16 63% 2 100%
D+ 1681 68% 67 54% 3 33%
D 1535 69% 188 52% 27 41% 2 50%
D- 1693 68% 56 43% 2 50%
F 1413 76% 186 45% 75 25% 43 7% 21 5% 11 0% 2 0%
Spring 2015 Grade Point Average
Of the 1,752 fall 2014 incoming freshmen 1506 reenrolled in spring 2015 and earned a spring grade
point average (GPA). For the fall 2014 cohort, students earning a second term GPA greater than or
equal to 2.00 had a higher retention rate (85.64%) than students who persisted into the spring term, but
earned a GPA lower than 2.0 (44.69%).
51
Spring 2015 GPA Cohort (N)
Retention Rate
0 74 14.86%
0.1 - 1.49 130 50.00%
1.50 - 1.99 107 58.88%
2.00 - 2.49 189 84.13%
2.50 - 2.74 144 79.17%
2.75 - 2.99 154 84.42%
3.00 - 3.24 188 84.57%
3.25 - 3.74 314 90.13%
3.75 - 3.99 134 86.57%
4.00 75 86.67%
Did Not Enroll in Spring 2015 243
Grand Total 1752 67.05%
Online Coursework Flexible programming that makes coursework more accessible has been a priority for the UCCS campus.
Online courses, hybrid courses, extended studies courses, and Weekend University are all methods used
to make programming available to a greater number of students. In fall of 2014, we had very few
incoming freshmen who participated in these types of course offerings.
Type of Instruction
Less than 6% of freshmen participated in either main campus online or main campus hybrid coursework.
Retention rates for freshmen that participate in hybrid coursework are higher than freshmen that
participate in online coursework only.
Type of instruction Cohort (N) Retention %
0 online hours 1717 67.15%
3 or more online hours (main campus) 34 58.82%
0 hybrid hours 1675 66.63%
3 or more hybrid hours (main campus) 76 75.00%
Percent Online
Additionally, as the percent of flexible programming increases per student, the lower the retention rate
appears to be. The optimal level of this type of coursework as it relates to freshman retention is 25% of
a student’s total credit hours per term.
Percent of Hybrid or Online Cohort (N) Retention Rate
None 1642 66.79%
<20% 20 75.00%
20% to 24% 59 72.88%
25% to 49% 26 61.54%
50%+ 6 50.00%
Any % 111 69.37%
52
Weekend University Coursework
Weekend University is an alternative course delivery program that provides 10-week condensed courses
on Fridays and Saturdays for students who may find it difficult to attend course during the workweek. In
the fall 2014 semester, 3% of the incoming freshmen (N=53) enrolled in Weekend University courses.
The average attempted credit load was 3.5 credit hours, but enrollments ranged from 3 to 7 units. As a
whole, retention is much lower for freshmen who attempted coursework through Weekend University
(58.82%) than for freshmen who in enrolled in coursework offered at traditional times (67.25%).
Weekend University Cohort (N) Retention Rate Enrolled in Weekend University Total 51 58.82%
3 credit hours 41 58.53% 4 or more credit hours 10 60.00%
Did Not Enroll in Weekend University 1701 67.25%
Course Level
Freshmen enroll in all types of coursework during their first semester. The majority of freshmen take
multiple courses that fall within the lower division credit range (2000 level and below), while some
enroll in upper-division coursework. As a whole freshmen that take 1000 level courses during their first
term are retained at a similar rate to the cohort average of 67%; however, the small number of students
who take 2 or more of 2000 and 3000 level courses in their first-term appear to persist at a higher rate
than the cohort as a whole.
Course Level Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Number of 1000 Level Courses
0 8 75.00%
1 15 60.00%
2 38 52.63%
3 158 63.29%
4 495 65.05%
5 778 68.77%
6+ 260 70.00%
Any 1000 level 1744 66.97%
Number of 2000 Level Courses
0 1380 66.59%
1 245 64.49%
2 106 73.58%
3 21 90.48%
Any 2000 level 372 68.55%
Number of 3000 or 4000 Level Courses
0 1694 66.94%
1 44 56.82%
2 or more 14 92.86%
Any 3000 or 4000 level 58 65.52%
53
Statistical Summary The purpose of this report was to provide an in-depth examination of retention activity. The measures
explored were broad and included many nominal variables that are not normally distributed and thus,
not appropriate for additional statistical analyses; however, Pearson’s Product correlation was used to
measure the strength of the association that exists between the continuous variables examined in the
report and Fall 2015 total taken credit hours. The strongest correlations occur between variables with
links that are linear, such as cumulative credit hours, fall 2014 GPA and successful course completions.
It isn’t surprising that students who do well in a greater number of classes are more likely to stay than
those who do not.
A full list of correlations can be found in Appendix B. The significant relationships with an r value greater
than .20 are sorted by variable category and strength of association in the table below. There were
several correlations worth noting:
Higher grades in freshman level coursework in Math, English, Biology, Chemistry, and GPS show a moderate to
strong strength of association to fall 2015 cumulative credit hours (r = .306 to .593, p<0.001).
Higher levels of academic preparation in the form of the Admissions Index, High School GPA, and participation
in a concurrent enrollment program show moderate to weak strength of associations to fall 2015 cumulative
credit hours (r =.20 to .31, p<0.001).
Number of attempted courses at the 3000 level and higher, Number of ‘A’s” earned, amount of Pell received
in the first-term, visits to the Science Learning Center positive weak to moderate correlations (r,>= 0.188
to .398).
Engagement variables such as participation in student life, club sports and athletics show positive weak
correlations (Appendix B).
A later application date and number of W’s earned at the end of the term showed negative correlations with
strength of associations (r= -0.219 to -.598, p<.001).
Variable Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N
Linear Variables
Fall 2015 Total SCH Hours (taken) 1
1752
Taken Progress Units (fall 2014) .552** .000 1752
Total Cumulative SCH (fall 2014) .401** .000 1752
Taken Units Main (fall 2014) .377** .000 1752
Main SCH + Exstu. SCH (fall 2014) .358** .000 1752
Total Term Units (fall 2014) .302** .000 1752
Academic Preparation
Index (Cognos) .310** .000 1649
Major Switch Fall 2014 to Fall 2015 .275** .000 1748
High School Converted GPA .268** .000 1745
Application date -.219** .000 1752
UCCS Concurrent Enrollment 2010 to 2014 .204** .000 1752
Coursework and Performance
Count of "W" at EOT (fall 2014) -.598** .000 246
CHEM 1001 Grade (fall 2014) .593** .000 73
MATH 1120 Grade (fall 2014) .583** .000 52
54
BIOL 1310 Grade (fall 2014) .579** .000 180
CUM GPAPTS (fall 2014) .549** .000 1752
CUR GPAPTS (fall 2014) .548** .000 1752
ENGL 1310 Grade (fall 2014) .519** .000 1024
Freshman Seminar Grade .508** .000 1618
CHEM 1301 Grade (fall 2014) .495** .000 183
CHEM 1201 Grade(fall 2014) .471** .000 175
ENGL 1410 Grade (fall 2014) .468** .000 120
Spring 2015 GPA .464** .000 1509
MATH 1350SCALE (fall 2014) .460** .000 148
BIOL 1010 Grade (fall 2014) .453** .000 99
BIOL 1300 Grade (fall 2014) .448** .000 185
MATH 1040 Grade (fall 2014) .436** .000 285
A # earned EOT (fall 2014) .398** .000 1752
MATH 1050 Grade (fall 2014) .394** .000 129
BIOL 2010 Grade (fall 2014) .306* .013 65
3000 Level Course # (fall 2014) .286* .038 53
A- # earned EOT (fall 2014) .221** .000 17522
Student Engagement
Visits to Excel Science Center .188** .001 309
Financial Aid
Pell Amt. 3/2/15 .374** .000 512
Unmet Need -.217** .000 1565
55
References ACT (2015). National distributions of cumulative percents for ACT Test Scores.
http://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/
NormsChartMCandComposite-Web2015-16.pdf
Bostock, M. (2012). Sankey diagram with horizontal and vertical node movement. Retrieved from
http://bl.ocks.org/d3noob/5028304
Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid, (2016) Expected Family Contribution.
https://fafsa.ed.gov/help/fftoc01g.htm
CollegeBoard (2016) ACT: Understanding Scores. Retrieved from
http://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/Using-Your-ACT-Results.pdf
CollegeBoard. (2016). AP Students, About AP Scores. Retrieved from
https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores/about-ap-scores
CollegeBoard. (2016) SAT Suite of Assessments, New Score Structure. Retrieved from:
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/educators/higher-ed/scoring-changes/new-
score-structure.
CollegeBoard. (2016) SAT Suite of Assessments Score Concordance Tables for Higher
Education. Retrieved from: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/higher-ed-brief-
sat-concordance.pdf.
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) http://nsse.indiana.edu/2015_Institutional_Report
/data_codebooks/NSSE%202015%20Codebook.pdf
National Student Clearinghouse http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/about/what_we_do.php
UCCS Office of Degree Audit and Transfer Credit http://www.uccs.edu/transfer/transfer-credit-
advising/credit-by-exam/advanced-placement.html
UCCS Math Placement General Information. Retrieved from http://www.uccs.edu/math/math
_placement_test_general_information.html
56
Appendix A:
National Survey of Student Engagement: Spring 2015
NSSE Cohort
In the spring term of 2015, UCCS participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
NSSE surveys a sample of freshmen and seniors from over 1,500 different colleges and universities to
ask about the amount of time and effort students put into their studies and other educationally
purposeful activities. Of our fall 2014 freshmen, 1507 were retained into the spring term when the NSSE
survey was administered. Of the 1,507 who persisted into the spring term, 300 or 20% completed a
NSSE questionnaire. The difference between those who continued into spring and participated in NSSE is
shown below.
Student Group Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Fall 2014 to Fall 2015 Retention (Full Cohort) 1752 67.05%
All Spring Continuing (Adjusted Cohort) 1507 77.24%
NSSE Participants (Adjusted Cohort) 302 85.76%
Non-NSSE Participants (Adjusted Cohort) 1205 75.10%
Engagement Indicators
NSSE breaks their survey question sets into specific factors called engagement indicators. Student NSSE
responses have been examined in relation to the ten NSSE engagement indicators: Higher-order
learning, Reflective & Integrative Learning, Learning Strategies, Quantitative Reasoning, Collaborative
Learning, Discussions with Diverse Others, Student-Faculty Interaction, Effective Teaching Practices,
Quality of Interactions, and Supportive Environment. Overall, there was a distinct retention gap
between those who answered the questionnaire and those who did not.
NSSE Higher-Order Learning Engagement Indicator
The higher-order learning indicator looks at the frequency in which students apply facts, analyze information and make choices based on information presented. The NSSE codebook defines this indicator as: “Amount coursework emphasized challenging learning tasks including applying learned information to practical problems, analyzing ideas and experiences, evaluating information from other sources, and forming new ideas from various pieces of information.” A very small population of students report seeing coursework that does not emphasize higher-order learning tools; however, there is a large retention gap between those who have coursework that emphasizes “some” use and “very much” use of tool 1 and 2.
Higher-Order Learning Response Cohort (N) Retention Rate
During the current school year, how much has your coursework emphasized the following?
1. Applying facts, theories, or methods to practical problems or new situations
Very little 3 66.67%
Some 47 80.85%
Quite a bit 127 85.83%
Very much 97 90.72%
57
2. Analyzing an idea, experience, or line of reasoning in depth by examining its parts
Very little 10 90.00%
Some 50 78.00%
Quite a bit 120 85.83%
Very much 95 90.53%
3. Evaluating a point of view, decision, or information source
Very little 12 100.00%
Some 62 85.48%
Quite a bit 116 83.62%
Very much 83 87.95%
4. Forming a new idea or understanding from various pieces of information
Very little 9 88.89%
Some 62 88.71%
Quite a bit 112 83.93%
Very much 90 87.78%
NSSE Reflective & Integrative Learning Engagement Indicator
NSSE defines Reflective & Integrative Learning as “how often students made connections with prior
knowledge, other courses, and societal issues, took into account diverse perspectives, and reflected on
their own views while examining the views of others”. The engaged group that reported less flexibility
in examining their belief system or understanding someone else’s position were less likely to be retained
than both the others.
Reflective & Integrative Learning Response Cohort (N) Retention Rate
During the current school year, about how often have you done the following?
1. Combined ideas from different courses when completing assignments
Never 11 100.00%
Sometimes 95 82.11%
Often or Very Often 174 87.36%
2. Connected your learning to societal problems or issues
Never 21 90.48%
Sometimes 97 96.91%
Often or Very Often 161 95.03%
3. Included diverse perspectives (political, religious, racial/ethnic, gender, etc.) in course discussions or assignments
Never 20 95.00%
Sometimes 106 85.85%
Often or Very Often 153 84.97%
4. Examined the strengths and weaknesses of your own views on a topic or issue
Never 11 72.73%
Sometimes 84 90.48%
Often or Very Often 184 85.33%
5. Tried to better understand someone else's views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective
Never 9 77.78%
Sometimes 69 91.30%
Often or Very Often 200 84.50%
6. Learned something that changed the way you understand an issue or concept
Never 7 100.00%
Sometimes 81 88.89%
Often or Very Often 189 84.66%
7. Connected ideas from your courses to your prior experiences and knowledge
Never 2 100.00%
Sometimes 44 84.09%
Often or Very Often 232 86.64%
58
NSSE Learning Strategies Engagement Indicator
NSSE has identified three basic learning skills and has categorized them into “learning strategies”. The
survey asks how often students engage in these behaviors. Students who report never reviewing notes
or summarizing content are retained at a lower rate than those who practice these strategies and there
is a large retention gap (11 percentage points) between students who practice all three strategies never
or sometimes compared to often and very often.
NSSE Quantitative Reasoning Engagement Indicator
NSSE’s quantitative reasoning engagement indicator (QR) is meant to determine “how often students engaged with numerical and statistical information across the curriculum, and used this information to reach conclusions, examine real-world problems, and evaluate what others have concluded”. There is little difference in retention based on student responses to the QR questions. However, students who never report engaging in QR activities tend to have a higher retention rate than students who report engaging either sometimes or often.
Quantitative Reasoning Response Cohort (N) Retention Rate
During the current school year, about how often have you done the following? Reached conclusions based on your own analysis of numerical information (numbers, graphs, statistics, etc.)
Never 33 87.88%
Sometimes 82 85.37%
Often or Very Often 158 86.71%
Used numerical information to examine a real-world problem or issue (unemployment, climate change, public health, etc.)
Never 56 85.71%
Sometimes 104 86.54%
Often or Very Often 113 86.73%
Evaluated what others have concluded from numerical information
Never 52 94.23%
Sometimes 107 83.18%
Often or Very Often 110 85.45%
Learning Strategies Response Cohort (N) Retention Rate
During the current school year, about how often have you done the following?
1. Identified key information from reading assignments
Never 8 87.50%
Sometimes 36 80.56%
Often 113 84.07%
Very Often 92 91.30%
2. Reviewed your notes after class Never 16 68.75%
Sometimes 78 83.33%
Often 72 91.67%
Very Often 82 87.80%
3. Summarized what you learned in class or from course materials
Never 23 78.26%
Sometimes 72 81.94%
Often 88 89.77%
Very Often 65 89.23%
Used all three Learning Strategies Never/Sometimes 88 80.68%
Often/Very Often 137 91.24%
59
NSSE Collaborative Learning Engagement Indicator
Questions within NSSE’s Collaborative Learning Engagement Indicator (CI) ask how frequently students
engage with peers with the purpose of gaining better understanding of course content. Students who
report engaging in CI activities often or very often are retained at a higher rate than students who did
not participate CI activities.
Collaborative Learning Response Cohort (N) Retention Rate
Asked another student to help you understand course material
Never 27 88.89%
Sometimes 107 83.18%
Often or Very Often 156 87.18%
Explained course material to one or more students
Never 8 75.00%
Sometimes 88 81.82%
Often or Very Often 195 88.21%
Prepared for exams by discussing or working through course material with other students
Never 40 87.50%
Sometimes 99 83.84%
Often or Very Often 153 86.93%
Worked with other students on course projects or assignments
Never 18 83.33%
Sometimes 98 86.73%
Often or Very Often 172 86.63%
NSSE Discussions with Diverse Others Engagement Indicator
Questions within NSSE’s Discussions with Diverse Others Engagement indicator explore “how often students had discussions with people who differ from themselves in terms of race or ethnicity, economic background, religious belief, or political views. Retention appears to be higher for students who report increased levels of interaction with diverse people.
Discussions with Diverse Others Response Cohort (N) Retention Rate
During the current school year, about how often have you had discussions with people from the following groups? During the current school year, about how often have you had discussions with people of a race or ethnicity other than your own?
Never 14 85.71%
Sometimes 54 85.19%
Often 72 84.72%
Very Often 109 88.07%
During the current school year, about how often have you had discussions with people from an economic background other than your own?
Never 11 81.82%
Sometimes 55 89.09%
Often 76 81.58%
Very Often 105 89.52%
During the current school year, about how often have you had discussions with people with religious beliefs other than your own?
Never 17 82.35%
Sometimes 60 86.67%
Often 73 84.93%
Very Often 99 87.88%
During the current school year, about how often have you had discussions with people with political views other than your own?
Never 19 89.47%
Sometimes 52 80.77%
Often 89 87.64%
Very Often 89 87.64%
60
NSSE Student-Faculty Interactions Engagement Indicator
In these data, students who report both discussing career plans with faculty and discussing academic performance with faculty are retained at a higher rate than students who never participate in either of these activities.
Student-Faculty Interaction Engagement Response Cohort (N) Retention Rate
During the current school year, about how often have you done the following? Talked about career plans with a faculty member Never 56 78.57%
Sometimes 132 89.39%
Often or Very Often 89 86.52%
Worked with a faculty member on activities other than coursework (committees, student groups, etc.)
Never 149 89.26%
Sometimes 76 84.21%
Often or Very Often 50 82.00%
Discussed course topics, ideas, or concepts with a faculty member outside of class
Never 88 87.50%
Sometimes 111 85.59%
Often or Very Often 78 85.90%
Discussed your academic performance with a faculty member
Never 69 85.51%
Sometimes 117 87.18%
Often or Very Often 90 85.56%
NSSE Effective Teaching Practices Indicator
NSSE’s Effective Teaching Practices Indicator explores student perception of how instructors emphasized
student comprehension and learning with clear explanations and organization, used illustrative
examples in the class-room, and provided formative and effective feedback. Students who reported a
perception of greater extent of effective teaching practices were retained at a higher rate than students
who perceived that these practices were not implemented during their first year.
Effective Teaching Practices Engagement Response Cohort (N) Retention Rate
During the current school year, to what extent have your instructors done the following? Clearly explained course goals and requirements Very little or some 44 84.09%
Quite a bit 132 83.33%
Very much 95 91.58%
Taught course sessions in an organized way Very little or some 55 85.45%
Quite a bit 107 86.92%
Very much 108 86.11%
Used examples or illustrations to explain difficult points
Very little or some 57 82.45% Quite a bit 118 84.75%
Very much 95 91.58%
Provided feedback on a draft or work in progress Very little or some 82 86.58%
Quite a bit 117 84.62%
Very much 72 88.89%
Provided prompt and detailed feedback on tests or completed assignments
Very little or some 97 86.59% Quite a bit 105 83.81%
Very much 68 89.71%
61
NSSE Quality of Interactions
Students who reported poor quality interactions with other people during their first year were retained at a lower rate than students who reported mid-range or higher interactions with others.
Quality of Interactions Response Cohort (N) Retention Rate Indicate the quality of your interactions with the following people at your institution:
With Students
Poor 6 66.67%
Less than avg. 23 78.26%
avg. 28 89.29%
Greater than avg. 139 77.70%
Excellent 48 91.67%
With Academic Advisors
Poor 12 75.00%
Less than avg. 39 61.54%
avg. 27 88.89%
Greater than avg. 103 81.55%
Excellent 58 87.93%
With Faculty
Poor 8 62.50%
Less than avg. 21 85.71%
avg. 32 78.13%
Greater than avg. 134 82.09%
Excellent 51 86.27%
With Student services staff (career services, student activities, housing, etc.)
Poor 14 85.71%
Less than avg. 32 68.75%
avg. 36 80.56%
Greater than avg. 102 83.33%
Excellent 33 87.88%
With Other administrative staff and offices (registrar, financial aid, etc.)
Poor 14 78.57%
Less than avg. 36 75.00%
avg. 42 83.33%
Greater than avg. 101 79.21%
Excellent 36 91.67%
62
NSSE Supportive Environment
NSSE asks students about how they perceive support in the academic environment. A large percent of students report high levels of perceived support throughout their first year and are retained at a higher rate than students who perceive very little support.
Supportive Environment Response Cohort (N) Retention %
How much does your institution emphasize the following?
Providing support to help students succeed academically
Very little 6 66.67%
Some 22 86.36%
Quite a bit 89 84.27%
Very much 105 91.43%
Using learning support services (tutoring services, writing center, etc.)
Very little 9 44.44%
Some 13 84.62%
Quite a bit 66 89.39%
Very much 133 89.47%
Encouraging contact among students from different backgrounds (social, racial/ethnic, religious, etc.)
Very little 25 88.00%
Some 64 85.94%
Quite a bit 73 89.04%
Very much 59 86.44%
Providing opportunities to be involved socially Very little 12 83.33%
Some 50 88.00%
Quite a bit 94 86.17%
Very much 66 89.39%
Providing support for your overall well-being (recreation, health care, counseling, etc.)
Very little 11 81.82%
Some 44 84.09%
Quite a bit 92 85.87%
Very much 74 91.89%
Helping you manage your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.)
Very little 56 89.29%
Some 79 84.81%
Quite a bit 55 87.27%
Very much 32 90.63%
Attending campus activities and events (performing arts, athletic events, etc.)
Very little 26 96.15%
Some 60 85.00%
Quite a bit 85 83.53%
Very much 49 93.88%
Attending events that address important social, economic, or political issues
Very little 41 92.68%
Some 72 83.33%
Quite a bit 73 87.67%
Very much 34 91.18%
63
NSSE Statistical Analysis
Pearson’s Product (Point Biserial) correlation was used to measure the strength of the association
between student responses to questions on the 2015 administration of NSSE and fall 2014 to 2015
retention. Of the numerous questions on the survey, nine showed a significant strength of association.
The strongest correlations occur between variables that ask about the quality of interaction between
students and faculty, students and academic advisors, and students and the student perception of
institutional emphasis on academic support and learning support.
There were several correlations worth noting:
There is a positive weak correlation between student perception of the quality of interaction between
students and academic advisors and fall 2015 retention r= 0.196, p<.01; between the quality of
interaction between students and students and fall 2015 retention r=.160, p<.01; and the quality of
interaction between student and faculty and retention r=0.152, p<0.05.
There is a weak negative correlation between the number of writing tasks 11 pages or more required and
being retained r=-0.159, p<0.05.
Correlations with p-value < 0.05 are noted in the table below.
NSSE Engagement (included significant results only) NSSE Question & Variable
Correlation Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Enrolled fall 2015 1 1752
Indicate the quality of your interactions with the academic advisors at your institution. (QIadvisor)
.196** 0.003 230
How much does your institution emphasize the following? Using learning support services (tutoring services, writing center, etc.) (SElearnsup)
.178* 0.01 207
Indicate the quality of your interactions with the students at your institution. (QIstudent)
.160* 0.015 230
How much does your institution emphasize the following? Providing support for your overall well-being (recreation, health care, counseling, etc.) (SEwellness)
.159* 0.022 206
How many papers, reports, or other writing tasks of the following length have you been assigned? 11 pages or more (wrlong)
-.153* 0.018 238
Indicate the quality of your interactions with the faculty at your institution.(QIfaculty)
.152* 0.021 230
How much does your institution emphasize the following? Providing support to help students succeed academically (SEacademic)
.147* 0.035 207
Estimated number of assigned papers, reports, etc., 11 pages or more (wrlongnum)
-.145* 0.025 238
Attended an art exhibit, play or other arts performance (dance, music, etc.) (Attendart)
-.138* 0.017 297
64
Pearson’s Product correlation was used to measure the strength of the association between student
responses to questions on the 2015 administration of NSSE and fall 2015 cumulative credit hours.
Results varied from the point biserial correlation referenced previously. Fourteen of the 59 variables
examined for NSSE showed significant correlations to fall 2015 cumulative credit hours.
There were several correlations worth noting:
There is a weak positive correlation between the number of writing tasks up to 5 pages required and fall
2015 cumulative credit hours r=-0.239, p<0.001.
There is a weak positive correlation between the perceived quality of interactions between students and
2015 cumulative credit hours r=.223, p<.001; and perceived quality of interactions between students and
faculty and 2015 cumulative credit hours r=.168, p<.01.
There is a weak positive correlation between the perceived emphasis on providing support for students’
overall well-being and fall 2015 cumulative credit hours r=.204, p<.01.
Correlations with p-value < 0.05 are noted in the table below.
Variable Correlation Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Fall 2015 Taken Total Hours 1 1752
During the current school year, about how many papers, reports, or other writing tasks of the following length have you been assigned? Up to 5 pages (wrshort)
.239** .000 252
During the current school year, about how many papers, reports, or other writing tasks of the following length have you been assigned? Estimated number of assigned papers, reports, etc., up to 5 pages (wrshortnum)
.239** .000 252
Indicate the quality of your interactions with the following people at your institution. Students (QIstudent)
.223** .001 230
How much does your institution emphasize the following? Providing support for your overall well-being (recreation, health care, counseling, etc.) (SEwellness)
.204** .003 206
Indicate the quality of your interactions with the following people at your institution. Faculty (QIfaculty)
.168* .011 230
How much does your institution emphasize the following? Providing opportunities to be involved socially (SEsocial)
.163* .019 207
How much does your institution emphasize the following? Providing support to help students succeed academically (SEacademic)
.149* .032 207
During the current school year, about how often have you done the following? Talked about career plans with a faculty member (SFcareer)
.149* .012 281
Indicate the quality of your interactions with the following people at your institution. Student services staff (career services, student activities, housing, etc.) (QIstaff)
.146* .027 229
During the current school year, about how often have you done the following? Identified key information from reading assignments (LSreading)
.143* .030 231
65
During the current school year, about how often have you done the following? Discussed course topics, ideas, or concepts with a faculty member outside of class (SFdiscuss)
.138* .020 281
Indicate the quality of your interactions with the following people at your institution. Academic advisors (QIadvisor)
.134* .043 230
During the current school year, about how often have you done the following? Explained course material to one or more students (CLexplain)
.115* .048 295
66
Appendix B Pearson’s Correlations: Freshman Retention
Results of the Pearson’s bi-variate correlations sorted by category and effect size are located in the table
below:
Variable Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N
Linear Variables
Fall 2015 Total SCH Hours (taken) 1
1752
Taken Progress Units (fall 2014) .552** .000 1752
Total Cumulative SCH (fall 2014) .401** .000 1752
Taken Units Main (fall 2014) .377** .000 1752
Main SCH +Exstu SCH (fall 2014) .358** .000 1752
Total Term Units (fall 2014) .302** .000 1752
Taken Unit Exstu (fall 2014) -.093** .000 1752
Total Transfer Hours .081** .001 1752
Academic Preparation
Index (Cognos) .310** .000 1649
Major Switch Fall 2014 to Fall 2015 .275** .000 1748
High School Converted GPA .268** .000 1745
Application date -.219** .000 1751
UCCS Concurrent Enrollment 2010 to 2014 .204** .000 1752
My Math Placement M1050 .198** .000 523
TotalAPTest .187** .000 590
Window Category (7= meets window +10, 6= meets index meets HEAR, 5= meets index HEAR does not apply, 4=meets index does not meet HEAR, 3= does not meet Index meets HEAR, 2= does not meet index HEAR does not apply, 1=does not meet index does not meet HEAR)
.183** .000 1752
My Math Placement M1040 .168** .000 787
AP Score 3 (Received Y/N) .167** .000 1752
My Math Placement M0099 .164** .004 302
ACT Math .145** .000 1749
AP Score 2 (Received Y/N) .144** .000 1752
AP Score 4 (Received Y/N) .140** .000 1752
ACT English .135** .000 1749
ACT Composite .133** .000 1749
ACT Reading .115** .000 1749
ACT Science .114** .000 1751
AP Score 5 (Received Y/N) .103** .000 1752
AP Score 1 (Received Y/N) .098** .000 1752
SAT MATH .060* .014 1698
SAT TOTAL .055* .024 1698
67
SAT VERB .049* .043 1698
CLEP Credit 0.37599 .284 10
My Math Placement M1120 0.146129 .177 87
My Math Placement M1350 0.101481 .110 249
SAT ESSAY 0.039309 .106 1696
SAT MC 0.039137 .107 1696
SAT WR 0.035492 .144 1696
IB score 6 (Received Y/N) 0.015301 .522 1752
IB score 5 (Received Y/N) 0.004268 .858 1752
IB score 1 (Received Y/N) 0.002978 .901 1752
IB score 7 (Received Y/N) 0.002036 .932 1752
IB score 2 (Received Y/N) -0.00315 .895 1752
IB score 3 (Received Y/N) -0.00488 .838 1752
IB score 4 (Received Y/N) -0.00749 .754 1752
IB Number of Courses -0.06172 .631 63
Coursework and Performance
Count of "W" at EOT (fall 2014) -.598** .000 246
CHEM 1001 Grade (fall 2014) .593** .000 73
MATH 1120 Grade (fall 2014) .583** .000 52
BIOL 1310 Grade (fall 2014) .579** .000 180
CUM GPAPTS (fall 2014) .549** .000 1752
CUR GPAPTS (fall 2014) .548** .000 1752
ENGL 1310 Grade (fall 2014) .519** .000 1024
Freshman Seminar Grade .508** .000 1618
CHEM 1301 Grade (fall 2014) .495** .000 183
CHEM 1201 Grade(fall 2014) .471** .000 175
ENGL 1410 Grade (fall 2014) .468** .000 120
Spring 2015 GPA .464** .000 1509
MATH 1350SCALE (fall 2014) .460** .000 148
BIOL 1010 Grade (fall 2014) .453** .000 99
BIOL 1300 Grade (fall 2014) .448** .000 185
MATH 1040 Grade (fall 2014) .436** .000 285
A # earned EOT (fall 2014) .398** .000 1752
MATH 1050 Grade (fall 2014) .394** .000 129
BIOL 2010 Grade (fall 2014) .306* .013 65
3000 Level Course # (fall 2014) .286* .038 53
A- # earned EOT (fall 2014) .221** .000 17522
2000 Level Courses # (fall 2014) .196** .000 372
1000 Level Courses # (fall 2014) .195** .000 1744
B # earned EOT (fall 2014) .176** .000 1751
B+ earned EOT (fall 2014) .152** .000 1751
Enrolled Engl1300, Math90, Math99 unduplicated HC -.099** .000 1752
Math 90 (Y/N) (fall 2014) -.094** .000 1752
68
D earned EOT (fall 2014) -.085** .000 1751
D- earned EOT (fall 2014) -.084** .000 1751
Percent SCH Online (fall 2014) -.083** .001 1751
English 1300 (Y/N) (fall 2014) -.075** .002 1752
D+ earned EOT (fall 2014) -.069** .004 1751
C- earned EOT (fall 2014) -.065** .007 1751
Online Hours (fall 2014) -.054* .025 1751
B- earned EOT (fall 2014) .049* .040 1751
Percent Online or Hybrid (fall 2014) -.048* .046 1751
4000 Level Courses # (fall 2014) 0.799867 .104 5
Weekend University Attempted Hours 0.156264 .274 51
Hybrid Hours 0.02849 .233 1751
C+ earned EOT (fall 2014) 0.006531 .785 1751
C earned EOT (fall 2014) -0.0317 .185 1751
Math99 (Y/N) (fall 2014) -0.04257 .075 1752
Incomplete earned EOT (fall 2014) -0.04294 .072 1751
Demographics
Disability Services Registrant (Y/N) -0.03124 .191 1752
Eth Recode Wht/People of color -0.02234 .350 1752
First Generation -0.03876 .105 1752
Gender 0.03506 .142 1752
Military Status 0.04254 .075 1752
Student Engagement
Visits to Excel Science Center .188** .001 309
Visits to Excel Total .167** .000 1751
Number of Excel Centers Visited .154** .000 948
Student Life and Leadership Participation .144** .000 1752
Visits to Excel Language .140* .031 236
Intramurals Fall 2014 to Spring 2015 .101** .000 1752
Club Sports 2014-2015 .095** .000 1752
Fall2014 Athletics Roster .074** .002 1752
Campus Housing (Y/N) .073** .002 1752
Greek Life (Y/N) .057* .016 1752
Visits to Excel Math Center 0.07981 .308 165
Recreation Center Visits Fall 2014 0.052007 .801 26
Housing (Theme Housing( Y/N 0.034929 .305 863
Visits to Excel Writing Center 0.024694 .593 472
Visits to Excel Communication Center -0.06294 .316 256
Financial Aid
Pell Amt. 3/2/15 .374** .000 512
Unmet Need -.217** .000 1565
Freshman Institutional Scholarship .199** .000 1752
FinAid Institutional Aid Amt. .191** .000 1565
69
FinAid Scholarship Amt. .182** .000 1565
FinAid as % of FinAid Budget .133** .000 1485
FinAid Total Aid Amount .118** .000 1565
Disbursed Parent Loans .117* .040 305
Freshman Private Scholarship (Y/N) .113** .000 1752
Grants Excluding Pell Amt. .096** .000 1565
Loan as % of Total Aid -.088** .001 1359
Freshman Other Scholarship (Y/N) .082** .001 1752
UCCS Merit Tuition Grant (Y/N) .081** .001 1752
FAFSA (Y/N) .080** .001 1752
UCCS Tuition Grant (Y/N) .079** .001 1752
FinAid Family Contribution Amt. .076** .003 1565
Colorado Student Grant (Y/N) .075** .002 1752
CCHE Adjusted Gross Income Amt. .071** .005 1565
Fed SEOG (Y/N) .071** .003 1752
Athletic Scholarship Recode (Y/N) .070** .005 1565
FinAid Work Study Amt. .070** .005 1565
Financial Need (FA Budget-EFC) -.066** .009 1565
FinAid State Aid Amt. .063* .012 1565
FinAid Grant Amt. 0.047426 .061 1565
FinAid Federal Aid Amt. 0.047041 .063 1565
FinAid Loan Amt. 0.046722 .065 1565
Total Loans excluding Parent Loans Amt. 0.045728 .071 1565
FinAid Budget Amt. 0.044483 .079 1565