Universities: Enrollment Up, With Degrees Up Faster

For undergraduate learning at Kentucky public institutions, the last decade has been a period of growth. Together, the state's universities have added the equivalent nearly 7,500 full-time students: an 8% increase. In the same period, they've added more than 3,500 degrees to their annual list of graduates, and that's a much bigger 26% increase (though still smaller than the 54% jump for KCTCS).

Why do these numbers look better than the graduation rates? To return to what's becoming a recurring PrichBlog point, postsecondary graduation rates consider only students who enroll full time, stay at the same school, and finish within six years. The bachelor degree total above considers part-time as well as well as full-time, transfers as well as students who stay put, and degrees awarded no matter how long it took to get there. The total also must include some students who started at KCTCS and some cases where one person collected more than one degree, though I haven't yet figured out how often those two things happen.

Source: the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education's data portal, looking under student enrollment and under retention and graduation rates.