Student Achievement

Beaufort County Community College uses standards for student achievement that are based on performance measures adopted by the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) and College-defined student goals. NCCCS measures are published in an annual Performance Measures report. College-defined student goals include graduation rate, course completion, retention, and job placement.

Performance Measures

On an annual basis, the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) evaluates each community college in North Carolina on seven established state and federal performance measures for individual student success that are appropriate to higher education. These measures are as follows:

  1. Basic Skills Student Progress
  2. Student Success Rate in College-level English Courses
  3. Student Success Rate in College-level Math Courses
  4. First-year Progression
  5. Curriculum Student Completion
  6. Licensure and Certificate Passing Rate
  7. College Transfer Performance

The NCCCS’ State and Federal Performance Measures report is published annually and includes system-wide baseline percentages (for both credit and non-credit coursework) for each area measured, as well as the average percentage across all colleges within the NCCCS. Colleges are rated for each performance indicator as follows:

  • Met or exceeded the excellence level
  • Above the college average, but below the excellence level
  • Above the baseline level, but below the college average
  • Below the baseline level

The College defines the expected threshold of achievement for each of these performance measures to be “above the baseline level.” The rationale for this definition of achievement is to ensure uniformity across all measures and comparability to similar institutions within North Carolina.

Based on data in the 2022 Performance Measures report, as shown in the following table, the College achieved the threshold for acceptable performance in

all categories. Baseline levels are set two standard deviations below the system’s average index score and excellence levels are set one standard deviation above the system’s average index scores. The average band is within 0.5 standard deviations above or below the average index score.

Basic Skills Progress Credit English Success Credit Math Success First Year Progression Curriculum Completion Rate Licensure Pass Rate Index Transfer Performance
System Excellence 1.348 1.147 1.192 1.069 1.094 1.073 1.024
System Baseline 0.283 0.747 0.662 0.872 0.853 0.8 0.922
System Mean 0.993 1.014 1.016 1.003 1.014 0.982 0.99
BCCC 0.766 0.978 1.214 1.105 0.968 0.947 0.986

The reports below are official reports released by the North Carolina Community College System. Each report details goals for student achievement and success of students in achieving those goals at Beaufort County Community College along with all other community colleges in North Carolina.

2022 Performance Measures Report

2021 Performance Measures Report

2020 Performance Measures Report

2019 Performance Measures Report

2017 Performance Measures Report

2016 Performance Measures Report

2015 Performance Measures Report

NCCCS Performance Measures Data Dashboard

BCCC Graduation Rates

BCCC measures graduation rates based on a fall cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students. The completion status for this cohort of students is measured at 150% of the normal time to complete all requirements of their program of study. Full-time students are enrolled in 12 or more credit hours. First-time students are defined as students who have no prior post-secondary attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. This group includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits or recognized postsecondary credential earned before graduation from high school). Degree seeking students are defined as students enrolled in courses for credit who are seeking a degree, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential.

Academic leadership – VP of Academics, Dean of Instructional Effectiveness, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Dean of Business, Technology, and Public Services, and Director of Nursing and Allied Health - created the definitions for baseline and goal rates in March 2021, using the outocmes of the 2015, 2016, and 2017 first-time, full-time cohorts. The decrease in cohort size from 2014 to 2016 is a reflection of BCCC's decision to no longer offer student loans. Utilizing running averages allows for ebbs and flows with student movement through BCCC.

The baseline is calculated as 5% above the average graduation rate of the past three first-time, full-time cohorts. The goal has been set at 5% above the baseline or 3% above the last cohort’s rate, whichever is higher.

Graduation Rates
2019 cohort 2018 cohort 2017 cohort 2016 cohort 2015 cohort 2014 cohort 2013 cohort
Total number of students in cohort 80 81 75 87 120 146 175
Number of graduates within 150% time 36 36 32 29 39 39 28
Graduation Rate 45% 44% 43% 33% 33% 27% 16%
Baseline 40% 36%
Goal 47% 46%

Graduation Rates of First-time, Full-time Students by Gender/Race/Ethnicity

Graduates Completing their Program with 150% of Normal Time Frame
2019 IPEDS Full-time, First-time Cohort
Race/Ethnicity Male Female
Cohort # Graduates Graduation % Cohort # Graduates Graduation %
U.S. Nonresident 1 0 0.00% 0 0 N/A
Hispanic/Latino 2 2 100.00% 4 1 25.00%
American Indian or Alaskan Native 0 0 N/A 1 1 100.00%
Asian 0 0 N/A 0 0 N/A
Black or African American 1 0 0.00% 10 4 40.00%
Native Hawiian or Other Pacific Islander 0 0 N/A 0 0 N/A
White 24 13 54.17% 33 15 45.45%
Two or more races 1 0 0.00% 1 0 0.00%
Race and ethnicity unknown 1 0 0.00% 1 0 0.00%
Totals 30 15 50.00% 50 21 42.00%

Course Success Rates

Course success is defined as the percentage of students who complete the course with a "C" or better compared to the total number of students enrolled in a course. The expected threshold of achievement for course success is 75% across all modes of instruction. The rationale for this level reflects the variation in student ability to successfully master content of coursework. The following table demonstrates successful attainment of this threshold most semesters, with those that are unsuccessful coming in just below the threshold.

Mode of Instruction 2017FA 2018SP 2018FA 2019SP 2019FA 2020SP 2020FA 2021SP 2021FA 2022SP 2022FA 2023SP
Traditional 82.66% 81.25% 87.49% 80.95% 79.84% 76.51% 78.12% 80.80% 75.12% 84.43% 83.67% 74.93%
Hybrid/Blended 80.98% 83.05% 77.42% 75.74% 77.60% 74.33% 78.03% 76.67% 68.31% 71.92% 75.93% 76.90%
Distance Education 69.08% 73.02% 69.64% 74.54% 68.43% 73.18% 71.60% 71.70% 65.99% 67.20% 68.43% 72.40%
Total Student Body 76.81% 78.17% 78.68% 77.44% 74.94% 74.56% 75.02% 74.42% 68.24% 72.13% 73.08% 74.93%

Student Retention Rates


Student retention is evaluated for students returning from fall-to-fall. Given the unique circumstances that students at Beaufort County Community College encounter with respect to employment, family responsibilities, etc., the College defines the acceptable level of achievement for fall-to-fall retention at 60%. The following table of data from the previous four years demonstrates achievement of the acceptable level of performance in both measures. Students who graduated within the measured time frame were removed from the data.

Cohort Fall to Fall Retention
Fall 2021 61.20%
Fall 2020 65.00%
Fall 2019 64.50%
Fall 2018 62.00%
Fall 2017 63.90%

Job Placement

Job placement data for college graduates employed in North Carolina is obtained from NC Tower. The College defines the acceptable threshold for achievement such that 75% of associate degree graduates for the academic year will be employed in North Carolina within one year of graduation. The rationale for this definition recognizes that a significant percentage of graduates will continue their education after graduation. The following table of data from NC Tower demonstrates that the College achieved the acceptable level of performance for the previous four years of available data. Data for 2020-2021 graduates is not yet available on NC Tower.

Academic Years
2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020
Percent of graduates employed in
North Carolina within one year of graduation
84% 78% 79% 81% 78% 81%