INCREASING ACADEMIC PROFILE OF NEW
FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
Issue 2
May 22, 2012
The incoming new first-year students’ profile continues to show upwards trends in academic preparedness over the last 4 years. Measurement of these trends include: SAT scores, ACT scores, AP/
dual credit, and high school gpa. These Purdue trends are shown with current national trends and
averages.
1.6
SAT TEST
TAKERS
Trends in
the
normed national average SAT
scores in critical reading and
writing scores have slightly
declined, while the math has
remained constant. In 2011,
the national average scores
were math 514, critical reading
497, and writing 489. Indiana
2011 high school graduates’
average SAT scores were math
501, critical reading 493, and
writing 475.
PURDUE ABOVE NATIONAL AVERAGE
SAT SCORE
ENROLLED FIRST-YEAR MATH
READING
59
WRITING
67
96
POINTS
Over the last four years, Purdue has seen a continued increase in mean SAT scores of enrolled new first-year students in all 3
parts of the SAT: math, critical reading, and writing (Table 1). The SAT sub test with the largest increase since 2008 is Math with a gain of 16 points.
2011
OFFICE OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
|
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
In the last four years the number of high school graduates who have taken the SAT has been on a
steady rise. In 2011, the SAT had over 1.6 million test takers. Approximately 25,000 test scores are
sent diTable 1. PURDUE MEAN SAT scores of new first-year students
rectly to
Purdue
each year.
MILLION
W E S T L A FAY ET T E
National SAT and Purdue SAT SCORES
SCHLEMAN HALL · 475 STADIUM MALL DRIVE · WEST LAFAYETTE, IN 47907-2050
(765) 494-9361 · Fax (765) 494-0544 · [email protected] · www.purdue.edu/enrollmentmanagement
National ACT and Purdue ACT SCORES
The national normed average
ACT composite score of 21 has
remained stable over the previous four years. Purdue’s fall
2011 incoming new first-year
students average ACT composite score of 26.6 is nearly a
full standard deviation above
the national average (Table 2).
Table 2. PURDUE MEAN ACT scores new first-year students
IN 2011
INCOMING COLLEGE CREDIT ON THE RISE
1.9
*The percentage of new first-year students who begin their career at
Purdue with college credit is also increasing. These students took college courses during high school and/or the summer between high
school graduation and Purdue matriculation.
Table 3. Percentage of Purdue new first-year students with AP score
3 or higher and incoming credit
ENROLLED NEW FIRST-YEAR
SCORE 3 or HIGHER
2500
SCHLEMAN HALL · 475 STADIUM MALL DRIVE · WEST LAFAYETTE, IN 47907-2050
(765) 494-9361 · Fax (765) 494-0544 · [email protected] · www.purdue.edu/enrollmentmanagement
W E S T L A FAY ET T E
5000 PURDUE
SCORES
TO
|
MILLION
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AP (ADVANCED PLACEMENT) TESTS
OFFICE OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
Over the previous four years
Purdue’s new first-year students have shown a steady
increase in the average ACT
composite score, rising 0.8
points between 2008 and
2011.
*Advanced placement (AP) tests and subject tests have significantly
risen in the last four years. In 2011, over 1.9 million AP tests were
taken by high school students, an increase of 24% since 2008. Purdue
has also seen an increase in the number of tests it receives. AdditionAP Test Takers
ally, the percentage of the new first-year class that has AP scores of 3
or higher or enter with college credit has steadily increased (Table 3).
ISSUE 2
May 22, 2012
Table 4. Purdue Average High School GPA for New FirstYear Students
PURDUE AVERAGE
HIGH SCHOOL
GPA
ISSUE 2
May 22, 2012
The average GPA for incoming
enrolled new first-year students has seen an increase
every year in the last four
years. From 2008 to 2011, the
average GPA increased 0.11
points (Table 4).
Table 5. Purdue New First-Year Students’ GPA in First Year and First Term
New first year students are recent high school graduates who have never previously enrolled as a degree seeking student at any college. This definition also includes only those
who enter in the fall semester.
*As noted above, our new first-year students have entered Purdue with greater amounts of
AP and other college credit. More Purdue students start with over 30 credit hours earned.
This has led to these students being classified not as freshmen, but as sophomores, or
sometimes even juniors in their registration.
For questions, comments and suggestions please contact: [email protected]
SCHLEMAN HALL · 475 STADIUM MALL DRIVE · WEST LAFAYETTE, IN 47907-2050
(765) 494-9361 · Fax (765) 494-0544 · [email protected] · www.purdue.edu/enrollmentmanagement
W E S T L A FAY ET T E
DEFINITION: NEW FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
|
Additionally, fewer students are being academically dismissed from the University after
their first year. From 2007 to 2010 the percentage of dismissed new students has
dropped from 3.7% to 2.4%.
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
As the new first-year students’ academic profile
has increased, so has the
new beginning Purdue
class first term GPA. The
incoming class has performed increasingly better
as measured by GPA at
the end of their first term
and at the end of their
first year at Purdue (Table
5).
OFFICE OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
PURDUE NEW
FIRST-YEAR
STUDENTS’ GPA