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:
- Basic Skills Student Progress
- Student Success Rate in College-level English Courses
- Student Success Rate in College-level Math Courses
- First-year Progression
- Curriculum Student Completion
- Licensure and Certificate Passing Rate
- 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
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% |