First to Second Year Retention Rate
Rationale: Higher retention rates are the basis of higher graduation rates and are an accepted measure of student success
Benchmark: 87%, based on the highest average Annapolis Group retention rate during the past 5 years achieved by the 2017 cohort.
Calculation: retention rate is the percentage of first-time, full-time undergraduate students who return to school the following fall. Peer group averages are calculated by averaging the rate for each institution. Peer group averages are calculated by averaging the rate for each institution.
KSCI: IPEDS Six-Year Graduation Rate
Rationale : The IPEDS 6-year graduation rate is most closely aligned with RMC’s approach to completion as embodied in the College’s 4-year degree guarantee.
Benchmark: 78%, based on the highest average Annapolis Group graduation rate during the past 5 years was 78%, set in AY 2018 and AY 2019.
Calculation: the six-year graduation rate is the percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who complete their bachelor’s degree within six years.
PANCE Total and First-time pass rates
Rationale: PANCE pass rates are an area of required reporting for ARC-PA, the national PA accrediting body.
Threshold and Benchmark: 89-90 % Total exam pass rate; 92-93% first-time pass rate, based on the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination®) pass rates at or above the national average for each cohort via the NCCPA report for Total and First-time takers from RMC
Calculation: Pass rates, found online at https://www.nccpa.net/resources/pance-pass-rate/
Student attrition rate
Rationale: Student attrition rates are an area of required reporting for ARC-PA, the national PA accrediting body.
Threshold and Benchmark: 6.7% -10.9%. 6.7% is the national average attrition rate for the 2019 PA cohort nationwide; 10.9% reflects the threshold of one standard deviation above the national average for student attrition in PA programs (2022 data).
Calculation: Graduation rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.
SACSCOC guidance says that “In order to maximize institutional effectiveness in the area of student achievement, member institutions should also disaggregate graduation rate data by appropriate gender, ethnic, socioeconomic, and/or other student population characteristics.”
Retention rates measure the percentage of first-time freshmen students who return to RMC for their sophomore years.
| Entrance Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number in Freshman Cohort | 374 | 420 | 432 | 440 | 345 | 415 | 431 | 532 |
| Number who returned as Sophomores | 320 | 352 | 377 | 358 | 281 | 335 | 360 | 418 |
| Retention rate | 86% | 84% | 87% | 81% | 81% | 81% | 84% | 79% |
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 100.00%* | - | 0% |
| Asian | 73.30% | 71.40% | 66.67% |
| Black or African American | 69.20% | 80.00% | 71.43% |
| Hispanics of any race | 81.80% | 65.40% | 64.44% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | - | - | - |
| US Nonresident | 33.30%* | 100.00%* | 62.50% |
| Race and Ethnicity unknown | 71.40% | 77.80% | 100.00% * |
| Two or more races | 72.70% | 89.70% | 87.50% |
| White | 83.60% | 85.60% | 81.87% |
| All students | 80.70% | 83.60% | 78.60% |
* = 5 or fewer students in initial cohort
Blank spaces indicate there were no students in the category in a particular year.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 87.8% | 84.2% | 88.8% | 86.4% | 83.0% | 81.7% | 85.20% | 78.70% |
| Male | 82.8% | 83.3% | 85.6% | 73.8% | 79.6% | 79.6% | 81.80% | 78.40% |
| All students | 85.6% | 83.8% | 87.3% | 81.2% | 81.4% | 80.7% | 83.6% | 78.60% |
(First-Time in College Cohort)
| Fall Entering Cohort Year | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number in entering cohort | 382 | 427 | 405 | 396 | 374 | 420 | 432 | 440 | 345 |
| Percent (number) graduating in 4 or fewer years | 63% (241) | 61% (259) | 66% (267) | 68% (269) | 68% (253) | 63% (264) | 63% (272) | 60% (266) | 62% (213) |
| Percent (number) graduating in 6 years* | 68% (259) | 66% (280) | 72% (290) | 74% (293) | 75% (279) | 70% (296) | 74% (320) | ||
| Percent (number) graduating in 8 years* | 68% (261) | 66% (280) | 72% (291) | 74% (293) | 75% (281) |
(Recipients of a Federal Pell Grant Recipients of a Subsidized Stafford Loan, who did not receive a Pell Grant Students who did not receive either a Pell Grant or a subsidized Stafford Loan Total)
| Recipients of a Federal Pell Grant | Recipients of a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant | Students who did not receive either a Pell Grant or a subsidized Stafford Loan | Total (sum of 3 columns to the left | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial 2019 cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor's (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduate students | 94 | 111 | 226 | 431 |
| Of the initial 2019 cohort, how many did not persist and did not graduate for the following reasons: Deceased, Permanently Disabled, Armed Forces, Foreign Aid Service of the Federal Government, Official church missions, Report Total Allowable Exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Final 2019 cohort, after adjusting for allowable exclusions | 94 | 111 | 226 | 431 |
| Of the initial 2019 cohort, how many completed the program in four years or less | 55 | 61 | 156 | 272 |
| Of the initial 2019 cohort, how many completed the program in more than four years but in five years or less | 12 | 13 | 17 | 42 |
| Of the initial 2019 cohort, how many completed the program in more than five years but in six years or less | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Total graduating within six years | 69 | 75 | 176 | 320 |
| Six-year graduation rate for 2019 cohort | 73% | 68% | 78% | 74% |
(First-time in college, transfer, full-time and part-time)
| First-time Cohort | Graduated in 4 years | Graduated in 6 years | Graduated 8 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Full-time | 67% | 74% | 75% |
| Full-time Pell Grant recipients | 64% | 71% | 72% |
| Full-time Non-Pell recipients | 69% | 76% | 76% |
| All Part-time | |||
| Part-time Pell Grant recipients | |||
| Part-time Non-Pell recipients |
| Non First-time Cohort | Graduated in 4 years | Graduated in 6 years | Graduated 8 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Full-time | 71% | 73% | 73% |
| Full-time Pell Grant recipients | 86% | 86% | 86% |
| Full-time Non-Pell recipients | 69% | 71% | 71% |
| All Part-time | 60% | 80% | 80% |
| Part-time Pell Grant recipients | 0% | 100% | 100% |
| Part-time Non-Pell recipients | 75% | 75% | 75% |
| Total 2017-18 Cohort | Graduated in 4 years | Graduated in 6 years | Graduated 8 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Entering | 68% | 74% | 75% |
| Total Pell Grant recipients | 65% | 72% | 73% |
| Total Non?Pell Grant recipients | 69% | 75% | 75% |
RMC tracks student achievement in areas where educational programs prepare students for specific licensure requirements.
Education: With a strong tradition of preparing outstanding teachers, RMC’s education minor is a Virginia Department of Education approved educator preparation program. Requirements for application to the program and teaching licensure in Virginia.
The Education Department tracks and publishes Candidates’ and Completers’ Performance Data, including Candidates’ Pass Rates and Performance on three required State Licensure Exams: the Praxis Core Math Assessment, the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA), and the Praxis Subject Assessment.
The Department also tracks and publishes Completers’ Performance Measures: GPAs, Graduation rates, and Job Placement rates.
The Nursing BSN program at RMC tracks and publishes its graduation rates and licensure rates at the following.
