Student Achievement
The mission of Agnes Scott College is to educate students to "think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times.” The college carries out this mission by offering a liberal arts curriculum enhanced by SUMMIT, Agnes Scott’s unique approach to undergraduate education immersing students in global education and leadership development.
Agnes Scott’s ultimate goal is for all students to persist in their studies and graduate in a timely manner. In evaluating student success with respect to the college’s mission, Agnes Scott has selected first-year retention and graduation rates as criteria for success for students seeking bachelor's degrees. Over the past five years, Agnes Scott has consistently exceeded performance thresholds and, on average, has met its targets.
First-to-Second Year Retention
As a criterion for success, Agnes Scott aims to meet or exceed the average for the college’s peer institutions. Given Agnes Scott's highly diverse student population, particularly among student socioeconomic backgrounds, the college considers a minimally acceptable threshold of performance to be at or above the 60th percentile of its socioeconomic peers based on the percentage of Pell-eligible students.
| Target for Success: Meet or Exceed Average of Peer Institutions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students Entering in: | ||||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 5-Year Average | |
| Agnes Scott College | 79% | 85% | 83% | 84% | 79% | 82% |
| Peer Institutions | 83% | 85% | 83% | 83% | 81% |
83% |
| Threshold of Acceptablity: At or Above 60th Percentile of Sociaeconomic Peers | ||||||
| Students Entering in: | ||||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 5-Year Average | |
| Agnes Scott College | 79% | 85% | 83% | 84% | 79% | 82% |
| Socioeconomic Peers | 75% | 76% | 73% | 73% | 73% | 74% |
While fluctuating from year to year, the rate at which first-year students return for their sophomore year has averaged 82 percent over the past five years. This is well above the 60th percentile of liberal arts colleges with similar Pell rates and on par with the college’s peers.
Six-year Graduation Rate
The six-year graduation rate is another criterion for success. Agnes Scott aims to meet or exceed the average for the college’s peer institutions, with a minimally acceptable threshold of performance to be above the 60th percentile of liberal arts colleges with similar Pell rates.
| Target for Success: Meet or Exceed Average of Peer Institutions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students Entering in: | ||||||
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 5-Year Average | |
| Agnes Scott College | 69% | 73% | 72% | 75% | 77% | 73% |
| Peer Institutions | 71% | 72% | 71% | 72% | 72% | 72% |
| Threshold of Acceptability: At or Above 60th Percentile of Socioeconomic Peers | ||||||
| Students Entering in: | ||||||
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 5-Year Average | |
| Agnes Scott College | 69% | 73% | 72% | 75% | 77% | 73% |
| Socioeconomic Peers | 58% | 59% | 58% | 57% | 57% | 58% |
Agnes Scott’s six-year graduation rate over the past five years averages 73 percent, above the target for success and threshold of acceptability.
Exam Pass Rates
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree program requires that all students take the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) in their final semester of coursework. The academic year 2024 was the first year the counseling program had students completing their program of study, and thus was the first year students took the CPCE. Each of the 19 eligible students took the CPCE. All students passed with a mean score of 96, well above the target for success of a mean score of 91 and a threshold of acceptability of 62.
This information is provided in compliance with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College’s Core Requirement 8.1. The SACSCOC Key Student Completion Indicator is graduation data reported on the SACSCOC Annual Profile.