Final official figures indicate that the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) awarded more degrees and certificates to the class of 2010 than any other year in its history. CSUS, which includes Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities, awarded a total of 7,005 degrees, the first time more than 7,000 have been awarded in one year.
The 7,005 total reflects an increase of 3.6 percent compared with 6,763 degrees awarded a year ago. As recently as the year 2000 there were 5,270 degrees granted. The breakdown by university this year is 2,468 at Central; 1,158 at Eastern; 2,332 at Southern and 1,047 at Western. Of the 7,005 degrees, 5,121 were awarded to undergraduate students.
“The Connecticut State University System is making a difference in students’ lives and the life of our state,” said CSUS Chancellor David G. Carter. “We provide great education and great value, and we’re truly a catalyst for Connecticut as an economic engine and by preparing Connecticut students to succeed and excel. That includes working closely with Connecticut businesses, developing programs keyed to the state’s workforce needs.”
Carter noted that 93 percent of CSUS students are from Connecticut, and 86 percent remain in the state after graduation to pursue their careers, raise families and participate in the civic and cultural life of the state.
In addition, CSUS continues to attract students back to Connecticut. More than 1,000 students originally attending out-of-state colleges and universities transferred to CSUS last fall, and 83 percent were returning Connecticut residents. That is up from 76 percent the previous year.
Recent surveys of graduating students have found that more than 90 percent are satisfied with the education they receive and would recommend their university to prospective students. Just last week, a survey was released which found that in the midst of the state’s economic downturn, 60 percent of respondents – recent graduates of the class of 2009 – either began a new job, received a promotion or received a raise in the months following graduation.
The six-year graduation rate has reached an all-time high for CSUS students, and all four universities now surpass the national average for public comprehensive masters degree-granting institutions. Under federal guidelines, the graduation rate statistic only reflects those students who began at their university as a freshman in the fall semester, and does not include students who started on a part-time basis or transferred to, and graduated from, the university.
The graduation rate for African-American and Latino students has continued to increase, reflecting CSUS’s participation in Access to Success, an initiative by more than 20 university systems nationwide to improve the level of entry into, and graduation from, universities by minority populations. The gap in the six-year graduation rate between white students and Latino students has been reduced by more than 10 percentage points, dropping from 17 percent for 1998 graduates to 6 percent for 2009 graduates.
