Student Achievement Outcomes
University Mission Statement (updated September 2024)
Provide transformative educational experiences to prepare graduates for making meaningful
contributions to society. Kentucky State University is a public, research-comprehensive,
historically Black, 1890 land-grant institution.
Goals and Outcomes for Student Achievement
The University has established goals and objectives for student achievement. As part
of the participatory governance model, the University's Division of Academic Affairs
determines the University's goals and outcomes through collaborative conversations
within departments, colleges, and across the institution. Information about student
achievement is published as a component of IPEDS reporting. The University’s 3-Year
Strategic Plan is linked below.
Vision 2028: Thorobreds Leading for Impact
Enrollment, Retention, Progression, Graduation, & Job Placement Rates
The University's Strategic Priority 1.2, "Improve enrollment management through enhanced
outreach," has as its KPI: Increase enrolled students through intentional recruitment
strategies to a headcount of 3,000 by Fall 2025, 3,500 by Fall 2026, and 4,000 by
Fall 2027.
Job Placement Rates (New 2025)
The University utilizes KY Stats: Post-Secondary Feedback Report and Gray's DI Alumni Insights to take a deep look into what happens to Kentucky graduates after they leave college.
Each report provides in-depth data by institution about which degrees are pursued,
the employment of graduates as well as information about students who go on to pursue
advanced degrees, average wages for various degree categories, and some insights into
what happens to students who leave without a credential and do not continue their
education elsewhere. Reports are created for each of the Commonwealth’s public 4-year,
public 2-year, and independent institutions. The University's report is provided in
this KSU Postsecondary Feedback Report. The website pdf is provided here, KY Stats Postsecondary Feedback Report, for convenience as well.
The institution has agreed upon the following criteria to evaluate student achievement: progression rates, retention rates, graduation rates, and enrollment growth. Definitions for each metric are briefly provided below and published on the University's Institutional Research Data Dictionary and attached
Executive Summary Tables (linked here).
Definitions
Progression Rate: Percentage of full- and part-time undergraduate students reaching
or surpassing 30, 60, 90 cumulative earned credit hours in a given academic year in
the subsequent fall term.
Retention Rate: Percentage of full-time, first-time bachelors degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who are again enrolled in the
current fall.
Graduation Rate: Percentage of students entering the institution as full-time, first-time
bachelors degree-seeking undergraduate students in a particular year (cohort) completing their
program within 150 percent of normal time (six years).
Enrollment: Census date reported to CPE and IPEDS, October 15th.
Publishing of Goals and Outcomes for Student Achievement
Full Reporting Files Linked By Year (please click link in each cell)
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Common Data Sets (University publication) |
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Student Achievement Key Performance Indicator #1
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Key Performance Indicator (KPI) |
Progression Rate |
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Rationale for Selection of KPI 1: |
3.1 Empower purposeful engagements to enhance student success |
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Threshold of Acceptability |
Increase progression Rates by 5% annually. The University’s aspirational goal is 90%. |
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Academic Year |
Student Course Enrollments |
Successful Student Course Completions |
KSU Outcome |
Threshold of Acceptability Met? |
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2024-2025 |
16,539 |
14,321 |
87% |
New Baseline |
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2023-2024 |
14,190 |
12,625 |
89% |
Yes |
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2022-2023 |
13,996 |
12,121 |
87% |
Yes |
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2021-2022 |
16,214 |
13,171 |
81% |
Yes |
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2020-2021 |
16,819 |
12,998 |
77% |
No |
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2019-2020 |
15,518 |
13,178 |
85% |
Baseline |
Student Achievement Key Performance Indicator #2
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Key Performance Indicator |
Retention Rate (First-Time, Full-Time Cohorts) |
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Rationale for Selection of KPI: |
3.2.2 Increase Student Retention |
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Threshold of Acceptability |
Increase retention rate by 5% annually. The University’s aspirational goal is 70%. |
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Academic Year |
Cohort Size |
# Retained |
Retention Rate % |
*IPEDS Peer Comparison Median Retention Rate |
Threshold of Acceptability Met? |
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2023-2024 |
266 |
168 |
63% |
53% |
Yes |
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2022-2023 |
227 |
138 |
61% |
56% |
No |
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2021-2022 |
361 |
191 |
53% |
61% |
Yes |
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2020-2021 |
437 |
307 |
70% |
59% |
Yes |
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2019-2020 |
386 |
303 |
78% |
56% |
Yes |
* IPEDs Peer Comparison Group data (NCES selected comparison group) includes: Allen University, Elizabeth City State University, Huston-Tillotson University, Lane College, Livingstone College, Miles College, Mississippi Valley State University, Paine College, Shaw University, Southern University at New Orleans, Stillman College, Virginia University at Lynchburg, and Wiley University - click link below for detail analysis.
Student Achievement Key Performance Indicator #3
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Key Performance Indicator |
Graduation Rate (150% of Normal Time) |
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Rationale for Selection of KPI: |
3.1 Empower purposeful engagements to enhance student success. The University's aspirational goal for Vision 2028 is 50% graduation. |
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Threshold of Acceptability |
Increase graduate rate 5% annually |
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Academic Year |
Adjusted Cohort |
Completers in 150% of Normal Time |
Graduation Rate |
*IPEDS Peer Comparison Median Graduation Rate |
Threshold Met? |
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2017-2018 (2014 Cohort) |
280 |
84 |
30% |
25% |
Yes |
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2018-2019 (2015 Cohort) |
199 |
74 |
37% |
24% |
Yes |
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2019-2020 (2016 Cohort) |
192 |
62 |
32% |
26% |
Yes |
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2020-2021 (2017 Cohort) |
280 |
76 |
27% |
23% |
Yes |
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2021-2022 (2018 Cohort) |
279 |
89 |
32% |
26% |
Yes |
* IPEDs Peer Comparison Group data (NCES selected comparison group) includes: Allen University, Elizabeth City State University, Huston-Tillotson University, Lane College, Livingstone College, Miles College, Mississippi Valley State University, Paine College, Shaw University, Southern University at New Orleans, Stillman College, Virginia University at Lynchburg, and Wiley University.
Key Performance Indicator #4
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KPI #4 |
Enrollment |
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Rationale for Selection of KPI #4: |
1.2 Improve Enrollment Management through Enhanced Outreach |
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Threshold of Acceptability |
Increase enrolled students through intentional recruitment strategies to a headcount of 3,000 by Fall 2025; 3,500 by Fall 2026; and 4,000 by Fall 2027. |
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Academic Year |
Goal |
Census Enrollment |
Increase (Decrease) |
Threshold of Acceptability Met? |
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2024-2025 |
3000 |
2163 |
28% |
Yes |
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2023-2024 |
+ |
1689 |
(2%) |
No |
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2022-2023 |
+ |
1726 |
(24%) |
No |
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2021-2022 |
+ |
2279 |
(.5%) |
No |
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2020-2021 |
+ |
2290 |
5.05% |
Yes |
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2019-2020 |
2171 |
- |
Baseline |
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