Student Achievement Data

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

As a growing research powerhouse committed to life-enhancing discovery and innovative instruction, The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) uses multiple criteria to document student success and assesses its effectiveness with respect to student achievement by monitoring trends in:

• full-time, first-time in college (FTFTIC) 6-year graduation rate,
• 1-year retention rate for FTFTIC students,
• select licensing and certification examination pass rates,
• 5-year master’s graduation rates, and
• 10-year doctoral graduation rates.

Achievement targets and outcomes data for each criterion are detailed below. Thresholds of acceptability, which are the minimum baselines for achievement of the criteria, and aspirational targets of achievement are established using UTA’s prior levels of student achievement, The University of Texas System’s selected peers’ prior levels of student achievement, UTA’s Integrated Postsecondary Data System’s IPEDS peers’ (includes both peers and aspirational peers) levels of student achievement, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s achievement targets, and in the case of certification/licensure exams, state- or nation-wide scores.

 

6-YEAR GRADUATION RATES FOR FTIC STUDENTS

UTA has selected the traditional 6-year overall graduation rate for full-time, first-time in college (FTFTIC) undergraduate students as determined by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) as its primary criterion of student achievement (in compliance with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) expectations). UTA expects the 6-year graduation rate for its FTFTIC students to be at or above 48%. UTA’s aspirational target is for the 6-year graduation rate for its FTFTIC students to be at 60% by 2024. The 6-year graduation rate data is determined using IPEDS definitions and methodology. The table below demonstrates UTA’s progress in increasing the 6-year graduation rate over the past five years.

6-year Undergraduate Graduation Rates for FTFTIC Students

 

FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME ONE-YEAR RETENTION RATE

UTA has selected the first-time, full-time in college (FTFTIC) student retention rate from first to second as a student achievement criterion as retention is generally a necessary pre-condition to graduation. Retention rates have been a consistent student success focus at UTA for several years, and UTA has established a threshold of acceptability of 69%. The aspirational target one year retention rate for FTFTIC students is an increase of one percentage point each year. FTFTIC retention data is calculated using IPEDS data and methodology. Full-time is defined as a student enrolled in at least twelve semester credit hours. The table below demonstrates the University's progress on increasing the FTFTIC first-to-second year retention rate over the past five years.

 1-year Retention Rate for FTFTIC Students

 

LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION EXAM PASS RATES

UTA uses select licensure and certification examination pass rates as a measure of students’ post-graduation success and thus criteria for student achievement. Specifically, UTA tracks the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) pass rates, the Board of Certification for Athletic Trainer pass rates, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s (NCSBN) National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for Registered Nurses pass rates. The threshold of acceptability pass rate for the TExES education certification exam is established by the Texas Commissioner of Education with input from committees of Texas educators and is scaled to reflect the minimum level of knowledge required for effective performance for beginning educators. The threshold of acceptability pass rate for the Board of Certification (BOC) Athletic Training Exam is set by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).  The nursing program threshold of acceptability for performance on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) uses the minimum pass rate set by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners  and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE, UTA's nursing program accreditor).

Athletic Training

The threshold of acceptability for the BOC Certification Exam for Athletic Trainers is 80%. The aspirational target is to be at or above the national pass rate. UTA has consistently exceeded its aspirational target for the past 5 years.

UTA and National Board of Certification Athletic Trainer Exam Pass Rates

Education

The threshold of acceptability for the TEA’s Texas Education agency’s Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) is 80%. The aspirational target is to be at or above the statewide pass rate. These targets are set, and data reviewed annually, for the Content Pedagogy Exams and targets and data reflect the overall pass rate for UTA and statewide. UTA has consistently exceeded the threshold of acceptability for the TExES exam for the past 5 years and has met or exceeded its aspirational target for the past 4 years.

UTA and National Board of Certification Athletic Trainer Exam Pass Rates

Year	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
UTA Pass Rate (Total Content Pedagogy Exam)	89%	95%	96%	93%	92%
Texas Statewide Pass Rate	91%	95%	90%	88%	88%
Source: UTA and Texas Statewide Pass Rates Data Source: TEA. content pedagogy exam pass rates. Retrieved on October 9, 2024.

Nursing

The threshold of acceptability for National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) Registered Nurse pass rates for UTA is 80%. The aspirational target for NCLEX-RN pass rates is to be at or above the national pass rate. UTA College of Nursing and Health Innovation undergraduate nursing students’ pass rate has exceeded the threshold of acceptability for the NCLEX exam first-time pass rate for each of the past 5 years. The aspirational target has been met or exceeded for all but one of the past 5 years. 

UTA and National First-Time NCLX-RN Pass Rates 

 

5-YEAR GRADUATION RATE FOR MASTER'S STUDENTS

UTA has selected the master’s degree 5-year graduation rate as a criterion of student achievement. The threshold of acceptability for the master’s degree 5-year graduation rate is 70%. The aspirational target for the master’s degree 5-year graduation rate is to be at or above UT System selected peer institutions’ annual average. UTA has exceeded the threshold of acceptability for 5-year master’s degree graduation rates for each of the past 5 years and exceeded its aspirational target in each year except for 2017-18.

 

UTA Master’s Degree Graduation Rates

 

10-YEAR GRADUATION RATE FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS

UTA has selected the doctoral degree 10-year graduation rate as a criterion of student achievement. The threshold of acceptability for the doctoral degree 10-year graduation rate is 43%. The aspirational target for the doctoral degree 10-year graduation rate is to be at or above UT System selected peer institutions’ annual average. UTA exceeded the threshold of acceptability for doctoral degree 10-year graduation rate for each of the past 5 years and met or exceeded the aspirational target for each year except for academic year 2017-18.

 

UTA Doctoral Degree Graduation Rates