Fact of the Week

Fact:

90 percent of our Fall 2025 entering cohort are enrolled in Fall 2026 (first-year retention rate: 90%).

See Table below for historical rates and comparisons:

Notes:

• *Carnegie Class: based on Carnegie Classification 2025. This group includes US institutions with the same Institutional Classification as Gettysburg - Special Focus: Arts and Sciences. Approximately 215 institutions (which reported data to IPEDS, including Gettysburg) were included in the comparison. The IPEDS portal provides a filter which allows the user to select by “Carnegie Classification 2025: Institutional Classification”. The great majority of schools in this group are those commonly called “liberal arts colleges”; but a small % are schools which used to be in a different Carnegie Class than Gettysburg (e.g., Utah Tech Univ.); meanwhile, a few schools which used to be in the same Carnegie Class as Gettysburg were re-classified by Carnegie (e. g., Univ. of Richmond, Washington & Lee) – thus they not in the downloaded dataset and not included in comparison (Note that US News & World Report continued to map them into the National Liberal Arts Colleges category for its Best Colleges ranking purpose).
• If you are interested in seeing the individual schools' rates, feel free to email Suhua at sdong@gettysburg.edu.

Data Sources

• Suhua’ analysis of IPEDS data downloaded on the morning of Oct. 1. 2026 (IPEDS preliminary release)
• Retention & Graduation Rates - Gettysburg.edu

Fact:

94 percent of our May 2026 graduating seniors reported having had a mentor during their years at the College.

Six percent (27 out of 485 seniors who answered this question) reported "No one".

See this chart and the table below for more information:

Footnote

• Survey question: "Who became your mentor(s) during your years at Gettysburg College?(A mentor is defined as: a coach, guide, tutor, facilitator, counselor and trusted advisor who is willing to spend his or her time and expertise to guide your development during college.)  (Mark all that apply)." The definition of Mentor displayed on the survey was developed by several College administrators years ago.
• A small number of seniors selected "Other" ; Suhua re-coded their responses into proper categories.
• *This is a combined percentage which also includes respondents who selected “Coaches” (if they had not already selected “Administrator(s) or support staff member(s)” - Suhua manually sorted and counted such individuals.)
• **This is a derived percentage (2026: 94%=100% minus 6% who reported “No one”).

Data Sources

• Suhua's analysis of the 2026 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey

Fact:

Among our currently enrolled new first-year students (i.e., Fall 2026 entering class), approximately 14 percent ranked Finance as their 1^st or 2^nd Priority in terms of academic interest, similar to the proportion in the prior entering class.

The table below displays more information:

Footnote

• Students completed their First-Year Dashboard (FYD) during the summer. The statistics above represent a snapshot (i.e., some students may change their mind). It does not mean these students have officially declared one of those three majors in PeopleSoft (PS).
• It is possible that from now to the fall census date (end of the 10^th class day, or September 4, 2026), a handful of students (in the Fall 2026 entering class) may withdraw, thus the statistics above may change very slightly. In other words, the statistics for the Fall 2026 entering class are preliminary at this point.
• The denominator (for both Fall 2025 and Fall 2026 entering classes) included a few students who did not have data on the FYD.
• Students could select up to 3 academic areas of interest on the FYD. FYD displayed the following question: "Exploring different areas of study is a core component of the liberal arts experience, and the Center for Student Success wants to know your academic interests. In addition to helping you think about areas of study that interest you, we share this information with your faculty advisor and student success staff who are available to assist you in your fall course selections. Your faculty advisor and student success staff can also help you with academic concerns and provide support during your transition to college. Please rank three areas of academic exploration in the section below after it is displayed. After you have made your selections, press the 'Validate My Selections' button....". The table above displays the number of students who ranked an academic interest area as 1 or 2, interpreted as 1st Priority and 2nd Priority, respectively.
• If you are interested in statistics for other academic areas of the Fall 2026 entering class, please free to email Suhua at sdong@gettysburg.edu. Complete statistics will be included in the upcoming 2026-27 Fact Book (scheduled to be released in Oct.
• Page 30 of the 2025-26 Fact Book displays last year's complete statistics. 

Data Source

• Suhua's analysis of First-Year Dashboard data (downloaded from PS)

Fact:

By the time of graduation, 46 percent of our 2026 graduating class had studied abroad during their time at Gettysburg.

The table below displays multi-year statistics:

Footnote

• 2026 graduating class: This population refers to August and December 2025 graduates and May 2026 graduates.
• Study-abroad students: those who studied abroad for a semester or an academic year and earned academic credits. Four of those 254 studied abroad for an academic year.
• At Gettysburg, most of those who studied abroad did so during their junior year. In the table above, you will notice a sharp decline on the 2022 graduating class study-abroad rate. As I explained on the August 25, 2022 Fact of the Week posting: Most of the students in the 2022 graduating class entered the College in Fall 2018; their junior year was the 2020-21 academic year--we were in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic. It’s important to keep this context in mind when interpreting the table above.

Data Source

• Suhua's analysis of raw datasets of global-study students and completions data retrieved from PeopleSoft using queries developed by Dave Nettekoven, Systems Analyst at Data Systems. Thank you Dave!.

Fact:

79 percent of our 2026 graduating class completed an internship(s) and 60 percent worked with faculty on research during their time at Gettysburg.

Combined, 87 percent completed an internship(s) or worked with faculty on research during their time at Gettysburg.

Based on institutional websites, among other US News Top 60 liberal arts colleges, about half a dozen display a combined % of participation in High Impact Practices (HIPs) on their current website. Among them, two schools display a combined % which includes the same two HIPs as Gettysburg (internship; research with faculty): Macalester and Trinity Univ. (TX).

The table below displays Top 60 liberal arts institutions which published a combined percentage of internships, research with faculty, and other career-related experiences:

Footnote

• For the percentage of our 2026 graduating class who studied abroad or served in a campus leadership role, visit: Facts and figures - Gettysburg.edu
• The combined percentage (internship or research with faculty) for our 2025 graduating class: 87%. (See Fact of the Week posted on August 28, 2025)
• It is unclear if the percentages of the comparison schools listed above were based on student self-reports on a survey(s) or objective data (administrative records) or both.

Data Sources

• Gettysburg’s statistics were based on Suhua's analysis of (1) student self-reports on the 2026 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Research from mid-April to early May 2026 (primary data source; an exit survey with a response rate of 97%), and (2) additional/supplemental data (objective data: coursework data retrieved from Peoplesoft; student self-reports on the 2026 Senior Prep Day Survey conducted by the Center for Career Engagement – an exit survey with a high response rate).
• Comparison schools: institutional websites (as of July 26, 2026)

Fact:

27.2 percent of our 2026 graduating class (149/548) completed more than one major (including four students who completed three majors), a record in the College’s history.

The table below displays our 10-yr historical data:

Footnote

• 2026 graduating class includes students who graduated in August and December 2025 and May 2026.
• Difference by Sex:
  • Among female students in the 2026 graduating class: 32 percent (96/297) completed more than one major.
  • Among male students in the 2026 graduating class: 21 percent (53/251) complected more than one major.

Data Sources

• Percentages were calculated by the Office of Institutional Research based on degree completions reports provided by the Registrar's Office.

Fact:

Among currently enrolled continuing students, a combined total of 113 individuals have declared a major in one of the newly launched majors (Communication Studies; Finance; Public Health Policy). Additionally, 11 (currently enrolled continuing) students have declared a major in the newly approved degree program: Psychology- BS.

The table below displays details:

Several faculty colleagues asked the Office of Institutional Research about how the two degree programs in Finance would impact student selection in the related fields of study (ECON, ECON-BS; BOM). Suhua analyzed major declaration data captured on May 8, 2025 (May and August 2025 graduates were excluded) and again on May 28, 2026. The table below displays the comparisons based on two dates:

Footnote

• For both years, incoming new first-year students and new transfers were excluded from analysis. 
• Statistics were based on data recorded in PeopleSoft. Total number of continuing students enrolled for Fall 2026 as of May 28, 2026 (shown as having Active status in PeopleSoft): 1,500
• These percentages were snapshots. Please take caution in making comparisons: Some students may have decided to major in one of those fields, but have not formally declared in PeopleSoft. Plus, the two dates (May 8; May 28) are not identical.
• Feel free to contact Suhua at sdong@gettysburg.edu if you need further information (e.g., other majors).

Data Source

• Suhua's analysis of Major Declaration and Enrollment data downloaded from PS on May 8, 2025 and May 28, 2026

Fact:

86 percent of our 2026 graduating seniors reported being “Generally Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with availability of courses (during their undergraduate education at the College) — the highest level in at least about two decades (since at least 2003) and higher than that reported by our 2025 graduating class by 11 percentage points.

The table below displays our historical data since 2013 and available peer comparisons - the combined percentage of graduating seniors reporting “Generally Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with “Availability of courses”: 

Footnote

• All of our anticipated May 2026 (and a few August 2026) graduates were invited to take the survey. As with each survey administration, seniors were assured confidentiality of their responses.
• Gettysburg 2026 survey response rate: 97%. Gettysburg Prior years: typically 90% ~ 95%
• Starting from 2020, this survey item "Availability of courses” and a few other specific satisfaction items were no longer part of the standard HEDS Graduating Senior Survey instrument. Instead, they became part of a separate survey instrument HEDS developed to be used for the student body. Gettysburg continued to include some satisfaction items as our supplemental questions for the annual exit survey, but peer data were no longer available.
• In the table above, 2013 is the start-year to be displayed -- 2013 was the year when Suhua started to conduct statistical tests to determine significant mean differences between Gettysburg and the peer group using a combined, unit-record dataset. (Prior to 2013, such a dataset was not available from HEDS; only individual schools' item percentages were available from HEDS.)
• Due to time constraints, pre-2003 data were not used in making historical comparisons. If you are interested in the numbers for 2003-2012, please email sdong@gettysburg.edu.
• Please take into account the following factors in making historical comparisons on this item. (1) Our (undergraduate) student body has become notably smaller in recent years. Enrollment size is one of the factors that can be linked to satisfaction with availability of courses. (2) The COVID-19 Pandemic affected student experience - remote classes were offered in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. This might have contributed to the lower than typical satisfaction of the 2024 graduating class, the great majority of whom entered the College in the Fall 0f 2020. 
• Schools in our Peer Group varied from year to year, as only some liberal arts colleges participated in the survey, some of which did not participate every year. The following schools were included for at least a year as part of our Peer Group (during the 2013-2019 period): Bates College, Claremont McKenna College, Colgate Univ., Dickinson College, Earlham College, Franklin & Marshall College, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Haverford College, Muhlenberg College, Lawrence Univ., Reed College, Sarah Lawrence Univ., Sewanee-The University of the South, St. Lawrence Univ. Whitman College, Union College, Ursinus College.
• Survey question (2022-2026): How satisfied are you with the following aspects of your undergraduate experiences at the College? If you have not had any experience with something we ask about, please select “Have not experienced.” (Rating Scale: Very Dissatisfied--Generally Dissatisfied--Generally Satisfied--Very Satisfied.) Each year, a small number of seniors selected this response option “Have not experienced” (including 3 seniors who selected it for the item: Availability of courses, in 2026); they were treated as missing in analysis of data for this item. Prior to 2022, the rating scale was the same but instead of “Have not experienced”, it used “Not relevant” (A small number of seniors selected this response option and were treated as missing in analysis of data for this item.).

Data Source

• Suhua's analysis of data collected from Gettysburg College's 2026 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey

The Office of Institutional Research has conducted an annual survey of our graduating seniors for many years, typically using an instrument developed by HEDS (Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium), with our own supplemental questions. The 2026 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey was open from April 17, 2026 to May 11, 2026. In addition to a question on overall satisfaction with their undergraduate education, the survey asked about their satisfaction with some specific aspects of their undergraduate experience at the College, on many of which there were positive changes on our results compared with last year. Highlighted below was one of the specific items: "Sense of community on campus". (Note. This posting was updated on 05/21/2026 to reflect comparisons with historical data prior to 2014.)

Fact:

88 percent of our 2026 graduating seniors reported being “Generally Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with the sense of community on campus — the highest level in at least about two decades (since at least 2003) and higher than that reported by our 2025 graduating class by 9 percentage points.

The table below shows our historical data since 2013 and available peer comparisons (the combined percentage of graduating seniors reporting “Generally Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with the sense of community on campus):

Footnote

• All of our anticipated May 2026 (and a few August 2026) graduates were invited to take the survey. As with each survey administration, seniors were assured confidentiality of their responses.
• Gettysburg 2026 survey response rate: 97%. Gettysburg Prior years: typically 90% ~ 95%
• Starting from 2020, this survey item "Sense of community on campus", and a few other specific satisfaction items were no longer part of the standard HEDS Graduating Senior Survey instrument. Instead, they became part of a separate survey instrument HEDS developed to be used for the student body. Gettysburg continued to include some satisfaction items as our supplemental questions for the annual exit survey, but peer data were no longer available.
• In the table above, 2013 is the start-year to be displayed -- 2013 was the year when Suhua started to conduct statistical tests to determine significant mean differences between Gettysburg and the peer group using a combined, unit-record dataset. (Prior to 2013, such a dataset was not available from HEDS; only individual schools' item percentages were available from HEDS.)
• Due to time constraints, pre-2003 data were not used in making historical comparisons. If you are interested in the numbers for 2003-2012, please email sdong@gettysburg.edu.
• Schools in our Peer Group varied from year to year, as only some liberal arts colleges participated in the survey, some of which did not participate every year. The following schools were included for at least a year as part of our Peer Group (during the 2013-2019 period): Bates College, Claremont McKenna College, Colgate Univ., Dickinson College, Earlham College, Franklin & Marshall College, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Haverford College, Muhlenberg College, Lawrence Univ., Reed College, Sarah Lawrence Univ., Sewanee-The University of the South, St. Lawrence Univ. Whitman College, Union College, Ursinus College.
• Survey question (2022-2026): How satisfied are you with the following aspects of your undergraduate experiences at the College? If you have not had any experience with something we ask about, please select “Have not experienced.” (Rating Scale: Very Dissatisfied--Generally Dissatisfied--Generally Satisfied--Very Satisfied.)  Each year, s small number of seniors selected this response option “Have not experienced” (including 6 seniors who selected it for the item: Sense of community on campus, in 2026); they were treated as missing in analysis of data for this item. Prior to 2022, the rating scale was the same but instead of “Have not experienced”, it used “Not relevant” (A small number of seniors selected this response option and were treated as missing in analysis of data for this item. ).
• If you are interested in the numbers for 2003-2012, please email sdong@gettysburg.edu.

Data Source

• Suhua's analysis of data collected from Gettysburg College's 2026 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey

The 02/19/2026 Fact of the Week was about Gettysburg’s latest 6-yr Graduation Rate and peer comparisons. Recently, more schools’ data became available. Below are additional comparisons.

Fact:

79 percent of Gettysburg's Fall 2019 entering cohort graduated in 6 years, higher than about half of the schools with a US News rank (among National Liberal Arts Colleges) of #34 to #60 (28 schools). 23 out of these 28 schools experienced a decline on their latest 6-yr graduation rate compared with the prior year. Based on the latest 2-yr average (average of the 6-yr graduation rates of the Fall 2018 and Fall 2019 Cohorts), Gettysburg was about in the middle of this group. See the table below for details:

Footnote

• As noted previously, the Fall 2019 Cohort was in their first spring semester of college when the COVID-19 Pandemic happened.
• Table was sorted by the 2-yr Average from the highest to the lowest.
• Annual change and the 2-yr Average for each school were calculated based on exact values (not rounded numbers).

Data Sources

• Based on Suhua’s analysis of IPEDS data and Common Data Set (CDS) files published by schools.

Some of you have used our Outcomes Dashboard, which displays the post-graduation outcomes of our students within one year after graduation (2013-2024 graduating classes). Our graduates are employed in a variety of industries. For example, if you select “All” under Graduating class, and “Philosophy” under Major, the WordCloud for Employment Industries will show that 12 Philosophy majors were employed in Government/Public Policy/Military.

The Office of Institutional Research sometimes receives data requests asking about the average/median starting salaries of our graduates. Previously, on multiple dates (09/26/2024; 01/29/2026; 04/02/2026), Suhua used the US Department of Education College Scorecard data and posted a Fact of the Week on the median earnings of our graduates (federal student aid recipients) at different points-in-time after leaving Gettysburg, and how they compared with their peers at other liberal arts colleges. Below is an additional post: median earnings One Year After Graduation. Consistently, Gettysburg’s results were outstanding compared with those of other liberal arts colleges.

Fact:

One year after graduating from Gettysburg, the median yearly earnings of our graduates (federal student aid recipients, who were working and not enrolled in school as of the time of measurement) was slightly above $43k (inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars). Gettysburg ranks #35 and is in the 83^rd percentile among all liberal arts colleges based on the median earnings.

Among PA liberal arts colleges, Gettysburg ranks #5 on this measurement (#1: Bucknell; #2: Lafayette; #3: University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg; #4: Swarthmore).

The table below displays some additional comparisons:

Footnote

• This posting, along with the previous postings on this topic, presents descriptive information.
• Definition for Median Earnings: “Median Earnings are calculated for individuals that were federally aided, were working, and were not enrolled in school as of the measurement point. Earnings were measured based on wages and deferred compensation reported via IRS form W-2 plus positive self-employment earnings reported via Schedule SE. Individuals with $1 or more of earnings were considered to be working and were included in the median earnings calculation. Anyone with an in-school deferment for at least 30 days during the measurement year were considered enrolled in school and were excluded from the median earnings calculation. Individuals that died were also excluded from the earnings cohort.” (Glossary | College Scorecard). Graduating classes included in the measurement: those who completed during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 award years. Median Earnings measurement years: calendar years 2020 and 2021. Median Earnings were inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars. Earning data were sourced from the US Treasury. The data presented here are the latest available. It appears the Department of Education has paused the update on this measurement since then.
• As indicated above, these earnings statistics reflect a sub-population of graduates. The percentage of federal financial aid recipients varied from school to school. About 400 Gettysburg graduates were included in this measurement.
• As with the previous postings, please note the limitations of these statistics: (1) only a sub-population (noted above) was included; (2) median earnings, albeit inflation-adjusted, were not inflation-adjusted to today’s dollars (you can do so on your own). (3) Only individual schools’ medians are available; averages are not available. Despite these limitations, some would find the apples-to-apples comparisons useful.
• Although Suhua used Rank formula in making comparisons, the difference between Gettysburg and another school in terms of dollar amount is sometimes small.
• In today’s world, “Value for the money” and “ROI” are often among the important factors to consider in college section. Indeed, the 2025 CIRP Freshman Survey results showed that “To be able to get a better job” and “To be able to make more money” were both indicated by a high percentage as "Very Important" reasons in deciding to go to college. The CIRP Freshman Survey was a national survey introduced in 1966; the original instrument was created by one of our own: Dr. Alexander (Sandy) Astin, '53, Professor Emeritus/Director, Graduate School of Education, UCLA!

Data Sources

• Individual schools' Earnings figures are from a data file (a humongous dataset with institutional-level data) Suhua downloaded on April 2, 2026 from the US Department of Education's College Scorecard website. Gettysburg's rankings and comparisons were calculated by Suhua using the above-mentioned dataset. If you would like to know the figures of all individual colleges and universities (5k+), feel free to download the dataset with worksheets Suhua added for the purpose of the FOTW postings. You can Unhide rows to see all colleges/universities. Note that it will take quite a while to Save any changes you might make due to the sheer size of the dataset.
• The list of Liberal arts colleges was identified based on the Data Dictionary. College Scorecard used the Carnegie Basic Classification - the 2021 Update; schools classified as Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts and Sciences Focus were labeled as Liberal Arts Colleges for the purpose of the Fact of the Week postings.

In a recent conversation with a colleague, it appears there might be some misconceptions about the link between the size of certain majors and the Carnegie Classification. Below is some relevant information.

"The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the nation’s leading framework for categorizing U.S. higher education institutions." (Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education®)

Fact:

According to the methodology used for the 2025 Institutional Classification (released in April 2025):

• Three majors (based on CIP or Classification of Instructional Programs codes) at Gettysburg are categorized (by Carnegie) as “Professions-focused (studies that prepare students for graduate school, management, or a career in a specialized field)”:
  • BOM (Business, Organizations, and Management ; CIP Code: 52.0201)
  • Finance – Business Track (one of the two tracks of a newly launched field of study; CIP code for this track: 52.0801)
  • Music Education (CIP Code: 13.1312)

Our current Institutional Classification is: Special Focus: Arts and Sciences. “Special Focus” is one of the three categories under the Dimension: Academic Program Mix; the other two categories under this Dimension: “Professions-focused” and “Mixed”.  “Professions-focused: The majority of degrees are awarded in fields that are classified as pre-professional or career-aligned. (See 2025 CIP Code Map.)” – that is, 50% or more.

According to our completions data (bachelor’s degrees), for the latest three years, the share of the two “Professions-focused” majors (BOM and Music Education; we do not have Finance – Business Track majors graduating in May 2026) are as follows:

Within the Special Focus category, there are 11 sub-categories, e.g., Special Focus: Arts and Sciences, Special Focus: Business. “Special Focus: Business: This includes institutions that award at least 50% of their degrees in academic programs in CIP 52, Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services, excluding administrative programs. “ As noted above, Gettysburg currently has two majors with a 2-digit CIP code 52: BOM and Finance – Business Track. The combined total of first and second majors completed in BOM as a percent of all majors completed for 2025-26 (anticipated), 2024-25, and 2023-24: 15%, 12%, and 13%, respectively.

Footnote

• For 2025-26 Award Year: Number of May 2026 graduates is an anticipated number and may not be identical to the actual number after the commencement.
• CIP codes were selected by departments. Each year, the College reports degree completions data to IPEDS using the CIP codes.
• Another criteria to be classified as “Special Focus: Arts and Sciences”:  an institution must be categorized as “Baccalaureate colleges” under the Dimension: “Award Level Focus”.
• Carnegie's definition of "Professions-focused” major has evolved and may continue to evolve. 

Data Sources

• Suhua's analyses of Major Declaration data downloaded from PS on the morning of April 23, 2026.
• Degrees Awarded By Major and Sex (2006-2025) - Institutional Research - Gettysburg.edu
• 2025 Institutional Classification - CARNEGIE CLASSIFICATION OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
• http://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-CIP-Code-Map.xlsx
• Institutional-Classification-Technical-Manual.pdf

Fact:

Among our current students, a combined total of 114 individuals have declared a major in one of the newly launched fields of study.

The table below displays details:

Footnote

• Statistics were based on data recorded in PeopleSoft. Total number of current students shown as having Active status in PeopleSoft (PS): 2,031.
• This is a snapshot - Data were as of this morning. Some students may have decided to major in one of those fields, but have not formally declared in PeopleSoft. According to the College policy, students have until the end of their second semester sophomore year to declare a major.
• Feel free to contact me if you need further details (e.g., distribution by race/ethnicity, home state).

Data Sources

• Suhua's analyses of Major Declaration and Enrollment data downloaded from PS on the morning of April 16, 2026.

Fact:

Gettysburg College is ranked No. 7 among Small Colleges on the Peace Corps’ 2026 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list.

Footnote

• Rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2025 data, as self-reported by Peace Corps Volunteers. The number of Gettysburg alumni who served as Peace Corps volunteers in fiscal year 2025 (October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025): 9 (served in eight countries and regions around the world: Armenia, the Dominican Republic, the Eastern Caribbean, Ecuador, Lesotho, Panama, the Philippines, and Thailand).
• Since the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961, 203 alumni from Gettysburg College have served abroad as volunteers.

Data Sources

• Peace Corps

Fact:

Four years after graduating from Gettysburg, the median yearly earnings of our graduates (federal student aid recipients, who were working and not enrolled in school as of the time of measurement) was about $73k (inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars). Gettysburg ranks #26 and is in the 87^th percentile among all liberal arts colleges based on the median earnings.

The table below displays some additional comparisons:

Footnote

• Definition for Median Earnings: “Median Earnings are calculated for individuals that were federally aided, were working, and were not enrolled in school as of the measurement point. Earnings were measured based on wages and deferred compensation reported via IRS form W-2 plus positive self-employment earnings reported via Schedule SE. Individuals with $1 or more of earnings were considered to be working and were included in the median earnings calculation. Anyone with an in-school deferment for at least 30 days during the measurement year were considered enrolled in school and were excluded from the median earnings calculation. Individuals that died were also excluded from the earnings cohort.” (Glossary | College Scorecard). Graduating classes included in the measurement: those who completed during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 academic years. Median Earnings measurement years: 2022 and 2023. Median Earnings are inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Earnings data were sourced from the US Treasury.
• As indicated above, these earnings statistics reflect a sub-population of graduates. The percentage of federal financial aid recipients varied from school to school. 576 Gettysburg graduates were included in the measurement.
• Gettysburg ranks #5 among PA liberal arts colleges (#1: Bucknell; #2: Lafayette; #3: Franklin & Marhsall; #4:University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg).
• If you would like to know the figures of all individual colleges and universities (5k+), feel free to email Suhua at sdong@gettysburg.edu for the entire dataset.

Data Sources

• Individual schools' Earnings figures are from a humongous dataset with institutional-level data Suhua downloaded on April 2, 2026 from the US Department of Education's College Scorecard website. Gettysburg's rankings and comparisons were calculated by Suhua using the above mentioned dataset.
• The list of Liberal arts colleges was identified based on the Data Dictionary downloaded from the above mentioned website. College Scorecard used the Carnegie Basic Classification - the 2021 Update; schools classified as Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts and Sciences Focus were labeled as Liberal Arts Colleges for the purpose of this posting.
• You can also find individual school data from the College Scorecard website (displayed under each school's profile).

Fact:

For the Spring 2026 term, total enrollment of (online) master's students at the College is 735, including eight students pursuing a Master of Education.

These two Fact Book pages display historical numbers.

Footnote

• Eight students are studying full-time. The rest are studying part-time.

Data Source

• Registrar's Office (Thanks to Brian Reese, our Registrar for providing the enrollment report.)

Fact:

79 percent of Gettysburg's Fall 2019 entering cohort graduated in 6 years; its 6-yr graduation rate was lower than that of its previous cohort. This decline also occurred at some of our peer institutions. This cohort was in their first spring semester of college when the COVID-19 Pandemic happened.

The table below displays data of 5 of Gettysburg’s official comparison institutions (Like Schools; noted with *), and a few other roughly similar liberal arts colleges:

Footnote

• Graduation rates of the Fall 2018 entering cohort were based on data schools reported to IPEDS. Graduation rates of the Fall 2019 entering cohort are not yet available from IPEDS (schools submitted their data to IPEDS this winter.)
• Decimal places are displayed if available. For the Fall 2019 entering cohort, some institutions' published figures are rounded to a whole number.
• The COVID-19 Pandemic caused some disruptions to the academic career of students. The negative impact on the Fall 2019 entering cohort seemed to be most pronounced.

Data Sources

• Graduation rates of the Fall 2018 entering cohort: based on data Suhua downloaded from IPEDS on the morning of 02/19/2026
• Graduation rates of the Fall 2019 entering cohort: Institutional websites (e.g., Common Data Set data files)

Fact:

30 of our undergraduates completed their degree requirements and graduated in December 2025.

The table below and this chart display 16-yr historical data: 

Footnote

• A December graduate is defined as one with a recorded degree conferral date/completion term of December in PeopleSoft (even though that individual may walk in the May commencement).
• The COVID-19 Pandemic caused a delay in some students' expected graduation date. The large number of December graduates for 2021 and 2022 was not typical: Among them, there was a disproportionately large number of students who had been at the College for more than four years. The number of December graduates for 2025 appears to be a blip as well.
• In a typical year, some mid-year graduates were early completers (i.e., it took them less than four years to graduate). Some were late completers (i.e., it took them more than four years to graduate). The proportion of each type varied from year to year. Among the 30 students who graduated in December 2025, most fall into the latter type.
• Tracking the number of mid-year graduates can have various uses, e.g., enrollment forecast.

Data Source

• Suhua’s analyses of completions data downloaded from PeopleSoft.

Fact:

10 years after college entry, the median yearly earnings of our former students (federal student aid recipients) who were working and not enrolled in school (as of the time of measurement) was about $72k. Gettysburg ranks #38 and is in the 82^th percentile among all liberal arts colleges based on the median earnings. 

The table below displays additional comparative info:

Footnote

• Group Median: Median of individual school medians
• Below is the technical definition for Median Earnings: "Median earnings are calculated for individuals that were federally aided, were working, and were not enrolled in school as of the measurement point. Earnings were measured based on wages and deferred compensation reported via IRS form W-2 plus positive self-employment earnings reported via Schedule SE. Individuals with $1 or more of earnings were considered to be working and were included in the median earnings calculation. Anyone with an in-school deferment for at least 30 days during the measurement year were considered enrolled in school and were excluded from the median earnings calculation. Individuals that died were also excluded from the earnings cohort. These calculations are based, in part, on calendar year 2020 earnings which may have been impacted by the pandemic and may not be predictive of earnings values in non-pandemic years." (Glossary | College Scorecard). Each school’s federal aid recipients were identified using the NSLDS (National Student Loan Data System). Median Earnings measurement years: 2020 and 2021. Median Earnings are inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars. Earning data were sourced from the US Treasury.
• As indicated above, these earnings statistics reflect a sub-population of former students. The percentage of federal financial aid recipients varied from school to school. The earnings data files were compiled by the US Department of Education. For this particular data point (most recent median earnings 10 years after college entry - those highlighted above), the College Scorecard website and the data files published therein use “former students”, and "after entry", instead of “graduates”; therefore, it is possible that they included both graduates and non-graduates. Former students who entered college in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years were included in the measurement for the most recent median earnings 10 years after college entry. Assuming a student graduated in 4 years, these would include individuals in the Fall 2009 and Fall 2010 incoming classes - who graduated in summer 2013 or summer 2014; and their yearly earnings (those who were working and not enrolled in school such as graduate school) were measured in calendar year 2020 and 2021 – slightly over 6 years after graduation from their starting college. 
• If you would like to know the figures of all individual colleges and universities, feel free to email Suhua at sdong@gettysburg.edu for the entire dataset.

Data Sources

• Earnings figures are from a data file downloaded from the College Scorecard website: a humongous dataset with institutional-level data. Gettysburg's rankings and comparisons were calculated by Suhua using the above mentioned dataset.
• The list of Liberal arts colleges was identified based on the Data Dictionary downloaded from the above mentioned website. College Scorecard used the Carnegie Basic Classification - the 2021 Update; schools classified as Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts and Sciences Focus were labeled as Liberal Arts Colleges for the purpose of this posting.

Fact:

19 percent (93/481) of the first-year class (i.e., Fall 2025 entering cohort members who are currently enrolled) have declared a major.

78 percent (356/454) of the sophomore class (i.e., Fall 2024 entering cohort members who are currently enrolled) have declared a major.

Below are some historical comparisons:

Footnote

• This is a snapshot. Percentages on Jan. 22, 2026 were based on data downloaded 9:45am – 10am this morning. Some students may have already decided on a major, but have not declared in PeopleSoft yet.
• 98 currently enrolled sophomores have not declared a major. According to the College policy, students have until the end of their second semester sophomore year to declare a major.
• There could be multiple reasons for the increase in the percentage having declared a major at this point of their academic career, e.g., availability of new majors and the above-mentioned relatively new major - Art History and Museum Studies. A varying number of current first-year students and sophomores have declared a major in one of those 3 new majors and in that relatively new major.

Data Source

• Suhua’s analyses of data downloaded from PeopleSoft

Fact:

Among students who are currently enrolled for classes in Spring 2026, some have declared a major in one of the following newly launched fields of study (based on data recorded in PeopleSoft):

Footnote

• This is a snapshot—Data are as of the morning of Dec. 18, 2025. Some students may have decided to major in one of those fields, but have not formally declared in PeopleSoft yet.

Data Source

• Suhua's analyses of Major Declaration data downloaded from PS.

Today’s Fact of the Week will be a bit different in format.

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, Suhua invited colleagues on the 2nd floor of Penn Hall who were working in the office that day to share their favorite statistics in the 2025-26 Fact Book. Some were unable to participate due to time constraints. Some participated. Their responses were posted below (with their permission):

Footnote

• These were from a small sample. Convenience sampling was used.
• If you are a member of the Gettysburg College community and would like to share your favorite statistics in the Gettysburg College 2025-26 Fact Book, Suhua invites you to do so by responding to this form.

Fact:

Within a year after graduating from Gettysburg, 97 percent of the 2024 graduating class were employed or attending graduate school/pursuing further education.

Below are weblinks showing post-graduation outcomes of a few other liberal arts colleges (Class of 2024):

• Bucknell: 93% (within 9 months)
• Connecticut: 95% (one year out)
• Hamilton: 92% (within a year)
• Dickinson: 95% (within 6 months)
• Franklin & Marshall: 92% (within 6 months)

Footnote

• Most of the students in this graduating class started college in Fall 2020 in the midst of the pandemic.
• Graduates reporting being both employed AND attending graduate school/Pursuing further education were counted once and categorized based on their (supposed) primary activity.
• Multiple methods were used to collect graduates’ career outcomes data: exit surveys, alumni follow-up survey, and LinkedIn profile search. Although the College has been using a one-year timeframe in reporting the outcome rates, it is important to note that many students accepted a job offer upon graduation, and the overwhelming majority of the remaining individuals planning to work found employment within six months after graduation. 
• Details and historical data

Data Sources

• Statistics were based on Suhua's analyses of unit-record datasets provided by the Center for Career Engagement and supplemental datasets provided by the Office of Institutional Research.

Fact:

In Fall 2025, among full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates at the College, the combined percentage of International Students and Domestic Students of Color (DSOC) is 36 percent (Fall 2024: 35%).

The table below shows details:

• 16 percent are International Students;
• 20 percent are Domestic Students of Color (DSOC);
• 61 percent are Domestic White Students; and
• 3 percent are Domestic Students whose ethnicity and race are unknown.

Footnote

• The group: DSOC, includes Domestic Students of all ethnic/racial categories except (domestic) White Students and domestic students whose Ethnicity and Race are unknown. The College follows federal guidelines: Definitions for New Race and Ethnicity Categories (ed.gov). (In our Fact Book, the term “International Students” is used instead of “U.S. Nonresident”.)
• Data nuances: Institutions are not required by the federal government to report the race/ethnicity information of International Students, but the College has collected the information--Based on data Suhua downloaded from PeopleSoft, in Fall 2025, of the 343 full-time, degree-seeking International Students, the great majority are Students of Color (219 are Asian; 26 are Black; 50 are Hispanic/Latino); 41 are White; 7 are Unspecified. In other words, if including Students of Color among both International Students and Domestic Students, the total number of Students of Color would be (295 + 411=) 706, or 34% of the undergraduate student body, much larger than the Subtotals for DSOC above (Fall 2025: 411 or 20%).
• Detailed data and visualizations will be part of the 2025-26 Fact Book, which will be released in a few days. Many updated statistics have been published on the Facts & Figures website. 

Data Sources

• Office of the Registrar Race/Ethnicity Report
• Office of Institutional Research

Fact:

During the 12-month time period beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025, 194 students earned a master’s degree from our online master’s program in American History.

Footnote

• The program was launched in the fall of 2022 in partnership with The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
• Enrollment in the program has been growing, as indicated on this Fact Book page (log-in required).

Data Source

• Registrar’s Office (completions data reported to IPEDS)

Fact:

In Fall 2025, the average (undergraduate) class size at Gettysburg is 17 and the median class size is 16.

(Fall 2024: mean was 18 and median was 17).

Footnote

• Which class sections were included for the purpose of calculating class size statistics? The Office of Institutional Research consistently followed the definition and instructions provided in Section I of the Common Data Set (CDS) template: "A class section is an organized course offered for credit, identified by discipline and number, meeting at a stated time or times in a classroom or similar setting, and not a subsection such as a laboratory or discussion session. Undergraduate class sections are defined as any sections in which at least one degree-seeking undergraduate student is enrolled for credit. Exclude distance learning classes and noncredit classes and individual instruction such as dissertation or thesis research, music instruction, or one-to-one readings. Exclude students in independent study, co-operative programs, internships, foreign language taped tutor sessions, practicums, and all students in one-on-one classes. Each class section should be counted only once and should not be duplicated because of course catalog cross-listings)."
• In the unit-record faculty workload/class sessions data file Suhua downloaded from PeopleSoft, cross-listed classes and co-taught classes were listed in multiple rows. Manually combining the enrollment of cross-listed classes and identifying co-taught classes were a time-consuming process.
• Note that average class size varies by course level and by discipline. For example: 300-level classes average 14 students.
• These statistics were published on the Facts & Figures website weeks ago.
• As noted above, labs were not included in calculating the overall mean (17) and median (16). In Fall 2025, science labs average 15 students.
• Below is the respective average class size currently displayed on the institutional websites of a few PA liberal arts colleges. It is unclear if their statistic is for Fall 2024 or Fall 2025. Additionally, it is unclear if they followed the Common Data Set definition and instructions.
  • Bucknell: 20
  • Dickinson: 17
  • Franklin & Marshall: 18
  • Bryn Mawr: Average class size was not published; Median class size in Fall 2024 was about 14 students.
  • Haverford: not found 
  • Lafayette: not found 

Data Source

• Suhua's analyses of the Fall 2025 unit-record faculty workload/class sessions data file

Fact:

The first-year retention rate of Pell grant recipients in Gettysburg's Fall 2024 entering cohort is higher than that of non-Pell students (92.5% vs. 90.5%).

The table below shows historical data:

Footnote

• The 2024-25 Fact Book contains more historical data on Pell grant recipients' first-year retention and 6-yr graduation rates. The 2025-26 Fact Book will be released later in the fall.
• There is no national comparative data on the first-year retention rate of Pell students. Nationally, the 6-yr graduation rate of Pell students was typically lower than that of non-Pell students.

Data Source

• Suhua’s analyses of cohort retention data.

Fact:

From Academic Year 1966 to Academic Year 2024, 72 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate in History from a U.S. institution; Gettysburg ranks 30th among all liberal arts colleges based on this total.

The table below displays more periods:

Footnote

• As emphasized previously, tracking how many of our graduates went on to earn a research doctorate is just one of the many ways to measure outcomes. This posting (and previous postings on this topic) does not intend to suggest this is the most important or the preferred way. As you can see from our Outcomes Dashboard: We have alumni who went on to pursue a professional doctorate in medicine and law, but doctorates in these fields are not captured by NSF SED. We have alumni who went on to pursue a master's degree in various fields. Our graduates do amazing things with or without a graduate degree. We can measure baccalaureate outcomes in so many ways!
• As you can see from our Outcomes Dashboard, within a year after graduation, some of our history majors were pursuing a JD or master’s degree in a wide range of fields: history, public history, information/library science, museum studies, business, education, etc.

Data Sources

• Suhua’s analyses of dataset downloaded (on the morning of 09/18/2025) from the interactive data tool provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

Fact:

From Academic Year 1966 to Academic Year 2024, 287 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate in Biological and Biomedical Sciences from a U.S. institution; Gettysburg ranks 37th among all liberal arts colleges based on this total.

From Academic Year 2020 to Academic Year 2024, 37 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate in Biological and Biomedical Sciences from a U.S. institution; Gettysburg ranks 30th among all liberal arts colleges based on this subtotal.

The table below displays broad fields each of which makes up at least 10 percent of the grand total of Gettysburg’s research doctorates (1966-2024):

Footnote

• As noted previously: Academic Year 2024 refers to the 12-month period beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024.
• Total for a broad field is the combined total of multiple major fields. For example, total for Physical Sciences is the combined total of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Chemistry, and Physics. NSF SED lists 14 broad fields.
• Number of liberal arts colleges in the datafiles Suhua downloaded on the morning of 09/18/2025: about 200-220 (depending on the field of study).
• Note that a graduate can go on to pursue a doctorate in a field of study different from their undergraduate major.  
• Many years ago, the annual Fact Book chose to use Academic Year 1966 as the starting point for our own tracking because at that point, information from NSF showed that prior to that year data were missing for a substantial number of schools.
• As emphasized previously, tracking how many of our graduates went on to earn a research doctorate is just one of the many ways to measure outcomes. This posting (and previous postings on this topic) does not intend to suggest this is the most important or the preferred way. We have alumni who went on to pursue a doctorate in medicine, law, or health professions, but doctorates in these fields are not captured by NSF SED). We have alumni who went on to pursue a master's degree. We have alumni who lead a life of meaning, purpose, and impact without a graduate degree. We can measure baccalaureate outcomes in so many ways!
• The entire datasets for select broad fields, as well as select major fields, have been shared with the relevant departments. Statistics for the remaining broad fields will be provided in the upcoming Fact Book.
• For more technical details about NSF SED, see also the Footnote for last week’s posting.

Data Sources

• Suhua’s analyses of datasets downloaded (on the morning of 09/18/2025) from the interactive data tool provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

Fact:

During Academic Year 2024 (the 12-month period beginning 1 July 2023 and ending 30 June 2024), 37 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate from a U.S. institution. Based on this single-year number, Gettysburg’s rank among liberal arts colleges is #32.

During the academic years 1966-2024 combined, 1,373 Gettysburg graduates earned a research doctorate from a U.S. institution; based on this grand total, Gettysburg ranks 49^thamong liberal arts colleges.

Footnote

• About 220 liberal arts colleges were included in the dataset Suhua downloaded on the morning of 09/11/2025.
• The Facts & Figures webpage has been updated. A detailed table by Field of Study will also be included in the upcoming Fact Book (2025-26 edition).
• If you would like to get the totals and ranking of other liberal arts colleges, please email sdong@gettysburg.edu. 
• As indicated in the previous FOTW postings on this topic, only recipients of research doctorates are included (the most common research doctorate degree is the PhD); recipients of professional degrees (e.g., MD, DMin, PsyD) are not included. “A research doctorate is a doctoral degree that (1) requires completion of an original intellectual contribution in the form of a dissertation or an equivalent culminating project (e.g., musical composition) and (2) is not primarily intended as a degree for the practice of a profession. The most common research doctoral degree is the PhD. Recipients of professional doctoral degrees, such as MD, DDS, DVM, JD, DPharm, DMin, and PsyD, are not included in the SED.” (Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) 2024 | NSF - National Science Foundation).
• Gettysburg graduates who obtained a research doctorate from a non-US institution were not included, such as Dr. Ian Isherwood.
• For more information about SED, check out: https://ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/earned-doctorates/2024

Data Sources

• National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates (dataset)
• Office of Institutional Research (sums and rankings)

Fact:

Among our currently enrolled new first-year students, a varying number of them selected (on their First-Year Dashboard) one of the three new majors as their intended primary area of study.

The table below displays detailed info:

Footnote

• Students completed the First-Year Dashboard (FYD) during the summer. The statistics above represent a snapshot (i.e., some students may change their mind). It does not mean these students have officially declared one of those three majors in PeopleSoft (PS). 
• One student did not have data on the FYD—that student was a deferral from Fall 2024 and his selections on his Common App was used.
• Students could select up to 3 academic areas of interest on the FYD. FYD displayed the following question: "Exploring different areas of study is a core component of the liberal arts experience, and the Center for Student Success wants to know your academic interests. In addition to helping you think about areas of study that interest you, we share this information with your faculty advisor and student success staff who are available to assist you in your fall course selections. Your faculty advisor and student success staff can also help you with academic concerns and provide support during your transition to college. Please rank three areas of academic exploration in the section below after it is displayed. After you have made your selections, press the 'Validate My Selections' button....". The table above displays the number of students who ranked an academic interest area as 1, 2, or 3, interpreted as 1st Priority, 2nd Priority, and 3rd Priority, respectively. All students selected 1, 2, and 3. 
• Two students ranked Communication Studies as 1, and also ranked Finance as 2 or 3, respectively.
• One student ranked Finance as 1, and also ranked Communication Studies as 2.
• Complete statistics showing all selected academic interests will be included in the upcoming 2025-26 Fact Book.

Data Source

• Suhua's analyses of First-Year Dashboard data (downloaded from PS)

Fact:

87 percent of our 2025 graduating seniors reported having completed at least one internship or worked with faculty on research while at Gettysburg.

During the summer, Suhua, along with her summer intern, searched other Top 60 liberal arts colleges, and found that only about half a dozen schools displayed a combined % of participation in High Impact Practices (HIPs) on their website. Among them, only two schools published a combined % which includes the same two HIPs as Gettysburg (internship; working with faculty on research): Macalester and Trinity Univ. (TX). Gettysburg compares favorably with both.

Gettysburg also compares favorably with another two schools which include internship, research with faculty, and other experience(s) in their combined percentage.

See the table below. You can click the weblink to find out more:

Footnote

• It is unclear if the percentages of the comparison schools listed above were based on student self-reports on a survey(s) or objective data (administrative records).

Data Sources

• Gettysburg’s statistic was based on Suhua's analyses of (1) data collected from the 2025 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey (HSS) conducted by the Office of Institutional Research from mid-April to early May 2025 9survey response rate: 96%) (primary data source), and (2) additional/supplemental data (2025 Senior Prep Day Survey conducted by the Center for Career Engagement, summer research participant lists provided by The Library, and coursework data).
• Comparison schools: institutional websites

Fact:

By the time of graduation, 60 percent of our 2025 graduating seniors had worked with faculty on research during their time at the College.

The table below shows our 3-yr rates and those of some other leading private liberal arts colleges:

On May 15, Suhua posted results on the overall satisfaction of our 2025 graduating seniors based on their self-reports on an exit survey conducted in mid-April to early May 2025. When asked: “Overall, how satisfied have you been with your undergraduate education at Gettysburg College?" ((Rating Scale: Very Dissatisfied (1)—Dissatisfied(2)--Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied (3)—Satisfied (4)--Very Satisfied (5)), 91% selected "Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied". Does the overall satisfaction level differ by Sex?

Fact:

Based on this year’s exit survey, our male and female graduating seniors reported a similar level of overall satisfaction with their undergraduate education at the College. No statistically significant mean difference was found between these two groups.

The table below shows details:

Footnote

• The survey was open from April 18 to May 10, 2025. Our overall response rate was about 95%.
• Statistical test conducted: Independent Samples T-Test; p=.551

Data Source

• Suhua's analyses of data collected from the Gettysburg College 2025 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey

Fact:

25.0 percent of our 2025 graduating class (138/552) completed more than one major (including 3 students who completed 3 majors), almost identical with that of last year's graduating class.

The table below displays historical 5-yr data for Gettysburg and comparisons with other top liberal arts colleges:

Please contact Suhua (sdong@gettysburg.edu) if you are interested in seeing data for each school.

Footnote

• 2025 graduating class includes students who graduated in August and December 2024 and May 2025. 
• US News ranked Top 60 schools: based on US News Best Colleges Ranking released in September 2024. IPEDS data were missing for US Air Force Academy, thus it was excluded in the comparisons.
• Other statistics of our 2025 graduating class will be posted on the College website (Facts & Figures; interactive dashboard) soon. 
• Important caveat: IPEDS data collection template has limitations. Its instructions on how to report triple majors and how to report double majors who received two degrees are very complex; thus some of the above percentages may not be 100% identical to the real/clean numbers calculated by schools which had a considerable number of triple majors. It is impossible to know how many triple majors were in a graduating class for each school. We have no way to know how closely institutions followed these complex IPEDS instructions. 

Data Sources

• Gettysburg's statistics were based on the degree completions reports provided by the Registrar's Office. Thank you to Kari King, Registration Assistant, who provided the Class of 2025 report on June 27, 2025.
• Suhua computed the statistics for other schools based on completions data downloaded from IPEDS on the morning of July 10, 2025. IPEDS 2024 completions data for other schools are preliminary at this point.   

In mid-May and early June, Suhua posted a few statistics based on our seniors’ self-reports on an exit survey (HEDS Graduating Senior Survey). Below are results from another survey question.

Survey Question:  To what extent does your first job after graduation align with your long-term career interests?  (This question was only for seniors who indicated that their primary plan post-graduation was Paid Employment or internship, full-time or part-time.)

Rating Scale: Very much (5)—Quite a bit (4)—Some (3)—Very little (2)—Not at all (1)

Fact:

Most Gettysburg graduating seniors reported that their 1^st job after graduation was substantially (“Quite a bit” or “Very much”) aligned with their long-term career interests.

The table below displays details: 

 You can find out more from these two slides.

Footnote

• In national surveys, researchers often interpreted the combined percentage of “Quite a bit” and “Very much” as “Substantially”. Readers can also combine the three percentages –"Some", "Quite a bit” , and “Very much” to refer to the proportion of seniors reporting some degree of alignment.
•  2023 data were not available as we used a shorter instrument that year out of concern of survey fatigue (seniors were asked to take another long survey right before the 2023 HEDS survey).
• 2025 peer comparison result was added on September 2, 2025

Data Source

• Suhua's analyses of data collected from the annual HEDS Graduating Senior Survey 

Fact:

The College provides abundant opportunities for students to work on campus to apply their skills and help pay their college expenses. During the 2024-25 AY, approximately 882 students (unduplicated headcount) were employed on campus (during Fall 2024 and/or Spring 2025), representing 40% of our undergraduate student body. This percentage was higher than that of last year (38%).

Footnote

• As with previous postings on this topic, Suhua only included degree-seeking undergraduates (full-time and part-time) in the calculations. Denominator: the unduplicated headcount of undergraduates enrolled in Fall 2024 and/or Spring 2025 (based on census). Students who studied off-campus during both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 (n=7) were excluded.  
• Important caveats: (1) In Fall 2024, we had 114 students studying off-campus; in Spring 2025, we had 169 students studying off-campus. Excluding the 7 students who were studying off-campus during both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, we had 276 students who were on-campus for only one semester, which might have affected their chance of getting an on-campus job. If we only include students who were studying on campus for both semesters in the calculations, the % will be higher. For practical purposes, Suhua only calculated the overall percentage. In the future, if needed, separate percentages will be calculated. (2) Research fellowship positions were not included.
• For many students, on-campus employment is essentially an internship, which is among the High-Impact Practices (HIPs) based on national research. Based on our own exit survey data and alumni survey data, on-campus employment was among the top five impactful college experiences (the others being study abroad, etc.). More on this in a future posting.

• Based on the 2022-23 AY data, Gettysburg had a higher percentage of undergraduates working on campus than most of the peers included in the comparison (See June 13, 2024 FOTW posting for details). 

   

Data Sources

• Suhua’s analyses of student employees’ payroll data file (Thank you to Missy Grimsley, Human Resources Information Systems Manager, who provided the data file), and Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 census enrollment data files.
• Missy’s data file included student employees who worked on campus at some point during the period beginning 8/10/24 and ending 5/02/25. It was possible that a few students may have worked during the period beginning 5/03/25 and ending mid-May 2025 but were not included among the 882. Thus, the word “approximately".

On May 15, 2025, Suhua posted the Overall Satisfaction of our 2025 graduates based on their self-reports on an exit survey (HEDS Graduating Senior Survey). In addition to the overall satisfaction, the survey asked about their satisfaction with various specific aspects of the College, on many of which there were positive changes on our results as well compared with last year.

Highlighted below was one of the specific items: "Sense of community on campus" (Rating Scale: Very Dissatisfied - Generally Dissatisfied - Generally Satisfied - Very Satisfied)

Fact:

79 percent of our 2025 graduates reported being “Generally Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with the sense of community on campus. This percentage was the highest in approximately a decade and was higher than that of last year by 7 percentage points.

The table below shows our historical data and available peer comparisons (the combined percentage of graduates reporting being “Generally Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with the sense of community on campus):

Footnote

• Starting from 2020, this survey question (satisfaction with sense of community on campus and other specific items) was no longer part of the standard HEDS Graduating Senior Survey instrument. Instead, it became part of a separate survey instrument HEDS developed for the student body. Gettysburg continued to include this survey item as one of our supplemental questions for the exit survey, but peer data were no longer available.
• Schools in our Peer Group varied from year to year, as only some liberal arts colleges participated in the survey, some of which did not participate every year. The following schools were included for at least a year as part of our Peer Group: Bates College, Claremont McKenna College, Colgate University, Earlham College, Franklin & Marshall College, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Haverford College, Muhlenberg College, Lawrence Univ., Reed College, Sarah Lawrence Univ., Sewanee-The University of the South, St. Lawrence Univ. Whitman College, Union College, Ursinus College.
• For additional technical notes about this year's survey, please see Suhua's 05/15/202 posting.

Data Source

• Suhua's analysis of data collected from Gettysburg College's 2025 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey

In March, Suhua posted the percentage of student-athletes in our student body in Fall 2024. Below are some statistics on athletics for the 2024-2025 academic year. Congratulations to Mike Mattia (Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation), all the coaches and staff, and our student-athletes!

Fact:

This past year:

• All of our teams combined to win almost 67% of our games.  It’s the highest single year winning percentage in at least a decade.
• 18 teams competed in Centennial Conference championship tournament play.
• 3 Centennial Conference Champions – women’s basketball, women’s Golf, men’s Golf
• 5 Centennial Conference Runners-up – women’s cross-country [best finish in 30 years], men’s swimming, women’s swimming, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, & softball.
• 12 teams competed and/or scored points in NCAA’s – volleyball, women’s cross-county, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, women’s swimming, wrestling, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, softball, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s outdoor track & field. Next closest is 9 back in 1997-98.
• 11 teams nationally ranked at some point during their seasons.

Footnote

• The Centennial Conference includes 11 colleges.
• As a founding member of the Centennial Conference, Gettysburg College sponsors 24 varsity sports (12 for men and 12 for women) that compete at the NCAA Division III intercollegiate level.

Data Source

• Athletics Department

On March 20, 2025, Suhua posted some findings from a recent prospective student/non-applicant inquirer survey. US (domestic) 2025 high school graduating seniors who were in our inquiry database (compiled by our Admissions Office) but did not apply to Gettysburg (for Fall 2025 admission) were invited to take the survey. Survey was conducted from Feb. 25, 2025 to March 15, 2025. Final sample size: 727. Below were results from another Survey Question: "Would you mind sharing with us where you applied to? If you applied to more than 5 colleges, please list the Top 5." (Students could list up to 5 colleges).

Fact:

Of those individuals who reported having applied to at least one college AND shared the name of at least one college, 35 percent (240 out of 689 unique individuals) listed one or more liberal arts colleges among their Top 5. Most frequently mentioned Liberal Arts Colleges are displayed below:

Of the remaining 65 percent who did not list any liberal arts college among their Top 5, the most

frequently mentioned 4-yr public colleges/universities are as follows:

Most frequently mentioned 4-yr private colleges/universities (excluding liberal arts):

Footnote

• The survey response rate was low, which is typical of surveys of this kind. But the sample size was decent: N=727. The sample was quite representative of the target population in terms of demographic characteristics.
• One limitation of the study was that some students who reported having applied to 5 or more colleges (under a preceding question) did not share all the Top 5 colleges under Question 2; had they done otherwise, the numbers in the tables above might slightly shift.
• According to Admissions, “students become an inquiry in many ways - completing a form, attending an off campus event like a college fair or school visit, clicking through emails, visiting campus, inquiring through a third party partner.”

Data Source

• Suhua’s analysis of data collected from the Gettysburg College Spring 2025 Prospective Student/Non-Applicant Inquirer Survey

For over two decades, towards the end of each spring semester, the Office of Institutional Research has conducted an exit survey of our graduating seniors to collect feedback. One of the survey questions asks: “Overall, how satisfied have you been with your undergraduate education at Gettysburg College?" (Rating Scale: Very Dissatisfied—Dissatisfied--Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied—Satisfied--Very Satisfied) Below are results from this year’s survey.

Fact:

91 percent of our 2025 graduating seniors reported that overall, they have been “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with their undergraduate education at Gettysburg College. This percentage was the highest in approximately a decade, and was higher than that of last year by 5 percentage points.

The table below shows select comparisons (for convenience, I used a 5-yr interval, plus the pre-Pandemic year, and the most recent two years):

Footnote

• We participated in the survey through HEDS (Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium), which developed the survey instrument. 2013 was the year when the survey instrument started to use the current 5-point rating scale for the question above; prior to that, it used a 4-point rating scale (the response option: “Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied”, was not part of the scale). Therefore, I used 2013 as the initial point for comparison here.
• All of our anticipated May 2025 (and a few August 2025) graduating seniors were invited to take the survey, which was open from April 18 to May 10. As with each survey administration, seniors were assured confidentiality of their responses.
• Overall response rate for our 2025 survey was 96%. Prior to that, our overall response rates had been very high as well (typically 90% ~ 95%).
• Gettysburg's 2018 graduating seniors reported a significantly higher level of satisfaction than those in the peer group. No statistically significant mean difference was found between Gettysburg and the peer group for the other years displayed. For schools frequently included in our peer group, see the 06/05/2025 posting.
• This posting was updated on 09/02/2025 (2025 percentage for the peer group was added). 
• Thank you to our graduating seniors who took the survey. Your valuable feedback will be used to improve the learning experiences of your fellow Gettysburgians. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors!
• Thank you to colleagues (e.g., Abbe Michael from the Office of Family Relations and Institutional Events, Michael Kotlinski from the Bookstore, Don Speelman from IT) who helped boost the survey response rate.
• As in the past years, at Gettysburg, the Institutional Research Office provided survey incentives. Survey completers were eligible to be entered into random drawings to win one of the ten $50 Amazon gift cards.
• Thank you to Angela Carbone Sontheimer from the Office of Enrollment & Educational Services/Office of Diversity & Inclusion who helped Suhua conduct the random drawings to determine the winners and for notifying them.

Data Source

• Suhua's analysis of the Gettysburg College 2025 HEDS Graduating Senior Survey

Last year, on almost the same date (May 9, 2024), Suhua posted the percentages of the first-year students and sophomores who had declared a major (as of that date). Below are figures for the current first-year and sophomore classes.

Fact:

As of this morning:

• 61 percent of the currently enrolled first-year students have declared a major.
• 98 percent of the currently enrolled sophomores have declared a major.

The table below show details:

For each of the classes, both the overall percentage and the percentages by Sex are identical or almost identical to those of their respective prior cohort at (almost) the same point-in-time.

Footnote

• According to the College policy, students have until the end of their second semester sophomore year to declare a major. It is possible that some of those undeclared students have made up their mind about choosing a Major, but have not officially filled out the form, thus their info has not been recorded in PeopleSoft as of this morning.
• It is important to keep in mind that despite the difference in major declaration rate by Sex, in recent years, the first-year retention rate of our female and male students has been similar.

Data Source

• Suhua calculated the percentages using multiple datasets downloaded from PeopleSoft this morning

“The individualized major exemplifies the hallmarks of a liberal arts education at Gettysburg College. Individualized majors are integrated, interdisciplinary, self-designed majors that combine coursework and other experiences from at least two departments or fields with other experiences such as internships and off-campus study.” Individualized Major - Interdisciplinary Studies - Gettysburg College

Today's FOTW is related to this aspect of our curriculum and student academic choice.

Fact:

Of the currently enrolled (degree-seeking) students (N=2,131), 38 (1.8%) have an Individualized Major (based on data recorded in the College’s administrative system – PeopleSoft).

Distribution by Sex:

• Female: 23
• Male: 15

Distribution by Race/Ethnicity:

• International: 8
• Domestic Students of Color: 3
• Domestic White Students: 24
• Race and Ethnicity Unknown: 3

Distribution by Class Level:

• 20 are anticipated May 2025 graduates (a significant increase compared with the 2024 graduating class. If all of these 20 indeed graduate in May, the Class of 2025 will have the largest number of students graduating with an Individualized Major since 2014.)
• 12 are juniors.
• 5 are sophomores.
• One first-year student.

Footnote

• As you can see from this interactive dashboard: The 2014 graduating class had 23 students who completed an Individualized Major, a record.
• Two students graduated with an Individualized Major in December 2024. So the 2025 graduating class (which includes August and December 2024 graduates and May 2025 graduates) will have 2+20=22 students with an Individualized Major (assuming all these 20 anticipated May graduates will indeed graduate in May).
• It is likely that some first-year students and sophomore have decided to self-design their major but this info has not be recorded in PeopleSoft yet as of this morning. According to here, students have until the end of their sophomore year to declare a major. So it is very likely that more students in the current first-year class will decide to self-design their major during their sophomore year.

Data Source

• Suhua’s analyses of multiple datasets downloaded from PeopleSoft on the morning of May 1, 2025

As you might have already read from The Chronical of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed, today, The Carnegie Foundation and ACE (American Council on Education) published their latest update to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. They also debuted a new classification system: Student Access and Earnings Classification.

“The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the nation's leading framework for categorizing diverse U.S. higher education institutions.” (ACE website)

Fact:

According to their latest update, Gettysburg College's classifications are as follows:

• 2025 Institutional Classification: Special Focus: Arts and Sciences
• 2025 Student Access and Earnings Classification: Lower Access, Higher Earnings

Our Institutional Classification is same as that of the great majority of colleges which we traditionally call liberal arts colleges, e.g., Dickinson.

Of the 220+ institutions with the same Institutional Classification as Gettysburg, below is the distribution in terms of Student Access and Earnings Classification:

Below is the list of the 48 institutions (including Gettysburg) classified as “Lower Access, Higher Earnings”:

Below is the list of the 10 Opportunity Colleges and Universities - Higher Access, Higher Earnings:

Footnote

• Access Ratio was based on enrollment of Pell grant recipients and under-represented students (in terms of race/ethnicity). Geographical location was also considered.
• One limitation of the Earnings Ratio is that it was based on earnings of graduates who received federal financial aid during college (their median earnings eight years after entry). You can read more about their methodology here. 
• Their newly released re-designed Institutional Classification was formerly called the Basic Classification.

Data Sources

• In the early morning of April 24, 2025, Suhua downloaded the Carnegie datafile from here and then did the following: sorting and running frequencies in SPSS.

Fact:

Our latest post-grad outcomes rate continues to be excellent. Within a year after graduating from Gettysburg, 98 percent of our 2023 Graduating Class were employed (74%) or attending graduate school/pursuing further education (24%); two percent were seeking employment. 

Footnote

• For this graduating class, the Knowledge Rate (percent of the class for whom career status within 12 months after graduation was available at the time of the study) was 82 percent. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), institutions should strive for a minimum knowledge rate of 65%.
• Consistent with our past approach, in calculating the outcomes rate, graduates who were both employed AND attending graduate school/pursuing further education were counted once and were categorized based on their (supposed) primary activity.
• Many students accepted a job offer upon graduation, and the overwhelming majority of the remaining individuals planning to work found employment within 6 months after graduation.
• Update on April 22, 2025: Suhua published the Class of 2023 data on the interactive Outcomes Dashboard on April 21, 2025. The relevant pages in the 2024-25 Fact Book have also been updated. 

Data Sources

• Mostly based on the unit-record datasets provided by the Center for Career Engagement (CCE) in early April 2025, with data cleaning and additional analyses performed by the Office of Institutional Research. 
• For historical results, visit this Facts & Figures webpage.

We monitor fall-to-spring retention each year as an early indicator of fall-to-fall persistence rates. The Office of Institutional Research regularly provides a fall-to-spring term retention and cohort cumulative retention report based on spring census data. This year, the report was finalized on March 6, 2025 to reflect a few backdated Dec. graduates and departures post the spring 2025 census date (which was the 10th class day, 01/31/2025—the Last Day for Drop/Add or Changing Grading Option).

Fact:

Our fall-to-spring term retention rate remains very high. Our Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 Overall Term Retention Rate was similar to that of last year; it was notably higher than that of three years ago.

Additionally, for each of the 4 entering cohorts (Fall 2021 - Fall 2024 incoming classes), their Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 term retention rate was also similar to the fall-to-spring term retention rate of the respective prior cohort at the same point-in-time.

The table below displays recent historical data:

Footnote

• Census data: based on the Registrar’s official term enrollment reports. Students who were enrolled in classes as of the end of the day on the College’s official census date were counted.
• A few backdated Dec. graduates and departures post spring census 2025 date: List of these students was based on notifications from the Registrar’s Office and the Center for Student Success. We had a few students who were considered Dec. 2024 graduates although their degree was awarded in early spring due to reasons such as late arrival of transfer transcripts. We had several students who appeared to be enrolled in classes as of the end of the spring census date and thus were counted in the initial census report but later left the College; since their last day of class attendance was on or before the end of the day on Jan. 31, they were considered backdated withdrawals and were not included in Registrar's final official census report in accordance with College policies.
• Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 Overall Term Retention Rate was calculated this way:
   
  • A. Full-time and part-time degree-seeking students enrolled in Spring 2025: 2,134
  • B. December 2024 graduates: 42
  • C. Spring 2025 new transfers: 1
  • D. Full-time and part-time degree-seeking students enrolled in Fall 2024: 2,213
  • Overall Term Retention Rate: (A+B-C)/D=98.3%
  • The IR Office has consistently used this computing method for our internal term retention tracking purpose.
• As you can see from the formular above: The calculation of the Term Retention Rate took into account attrition, Dec. graduates, and readmitted/reinstated students. Students who graduated in Dec. were counted as retained. Students who were not enrolled in the fall but were reinstated and enrolled in the spring were included in the numerator but not in the denominator. In other words, Term Retention Rate here reflects the overall net change between two census dates (a method consistent with the federal method for calculating retention). Note that attrition here also includes those on leave of absence (LOA), and some of those on LOA may return in the subsequent semester or AY.
• For details of our latest term retention rates and cumulative retention rates by cohort, see the full report (accessible to employees only; log-in required).

Data Source

• Suhua’s report was based on analyses of various unit-record cohort and student body enrollment data files and cross-checking with Registrar’s enrollment reports and unit-record enrollment data files.

Fact:

Based on the results from a recent survey, the top 6 information sources our prospective students (who were non-applicant inquirers) find most trustworthy and useful in learning about a college are:

How about other sources of information? A total of 14 sources were listed on the survey. You can find out more from this chart.

Footnote

• These results were based on a recent survey. Note the survey question wording "...in learning about a college" ("a", not "the"). See Data Source below.
• Definition of "prospective students": 2025 US (domestic) high school graduating seniors who were in our inquiry database (compiled by our Admissions Office) but did not apply to Gettysburg (for Fall 2025 admission). According to Admissions, “students become an inquiry in many ways - completing a form, attending an off campus event like a college fair or school visit, clicking through emails, visiting campus, inquiring through a third party partner.”
• Suhua wants to thank her EES colleagues Carey Thompson, Sarah Kotlinski, and Nick DiGregory for their support for the survey.

Data Source

• Suhua’s analysis of data collected from the Spring 2025 Gettysburg College Prospective Student/Non-Applicant Inquirer Survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Research. Survey instrument was developed in house. Survey was open from Feb. 25, 2025 to March 15, 2025. Final Sample: N=727. The response rate was low but the sample size was decent.

Several organizations publish college rankings by ROI (Return on Investment). In March 2024, Suhua highlighted our ROI rankings based on studies by Georgetown Univ. Center on Education and the Workforce (hereafter, The Center). The Center calculated ROI at intervals of 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 years following initial enrollment at an institution. Around the end of Feb. 2025, they released their latest ROI calculations: Ranking 4,600 Colleges by ROI (2025). Below are our rankings among liberal arts colleges based on their latest release.

Fact:

Based on The Center’s ROI calculations using the latest historical data (2021-22), among all liberal arts colleges (about 200), Gettysburg College's ranking at different time horizons is as follows:

Footnote

• According The Center’s website: “The ROI is the cumulative sum of earnings minus the total out-of-pocket costs based on the average net price”. You can find out more about their methodology on their website.
• The ROI values in their 2025 rankings are in 2023 dollars. In their 2022 rankings, the ROI values were in 2020 dollars; they were in 2017 dollars in their 2019 rankings. Therefore, please do not compare $ values across their rankings released in different years. Their 2025 release no longer uses the term NPV (Net Present Value), which was used in their previous studies.
• On their latest interactive data tool, The Center only display a school’s ROI values, not the rank. They no longer provide a filter--“Liberal arts institutions”. Steps to calculate our rankings: first, Suhua exported The Center’s ROI dataset of all 4k+ institutions. Next: she used IPEDS filters to get the list of liberal arts colleges. Lastly, she match-merged the two datasets to get the list of liberal arts colleges included in The Center’s ROI dataset and calculated the rankings for each school among liberal arts colleges (by using Excel RANK function). If you are interested in seeing the rankings of other colleges/universities, please email her at sdong@gettysburg.edu.
• Like all other rankings, this ranking also has limitations. It was based on data in the College Scorecard, which cover only students receiving some form of federal financial aid. According to the Center’s website: Nationally, during the 2019-20 AY, “55 percent of all students receive federal financial aid. Although the Scorecard data are limited to federal financial aid recipients, prior research conducted by the US Department of the Treasury shows that the median earnings of financial aid recipients are representative of the median earnings of all enrollees at most colleges.”
• Based on The Center's website, it appears individuals included in their analyses of the 2021-22 College Scorecard data were those who started college in fall 2009 through fall 2014. Only those who were employed (and not enrolled in school) when earnings data were collected were included in the earnings data (from IRS). Their study included both graduates (completers) and non-graduates (non-completers).
• In their study, The Center included all liberal arts colleges which had historical College Scorecard data, including a few which have been closed, e.g., Birmingham-Southern College (AL).

Data Sources

• ROI dataset exported from the website of Georgetown Univ. Center on Education and the Workforce
• Gettysburg's rankings among liberal arts colleges were based on Suhua's calculations using the IPEDS liberal arts college list (latest Carnegie Basic Classification: Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus) and Excel RANK function.

Fact:

In Fall 2024, there were 634 student-athletes at the College (unduplicated headcount. 247 females; 387 males), representing 28.7 percent (634/2207) of the full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student body.

% of student-athletes:

Footnote

• Of those 634 student-athletes, about 70 participate in more than one sport.
• Cheer-leaders were not included in the count.
• These statistics were published on Page 51 of the 2024-25 Fact Book
• You can also find the graduation rates of our student-athletes from the Fact Book.

Data Sources

• Suhua’s analysis of a roster provided by Susan Fumagalli, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Compliance Office. Thank you, Susan!

In April 2024, Suhua posted a Fact of the Week on Data Science and Data Analytics. That posting was based on the 2020-2023 data. Recently IPEDS released its collection-level data on the latest graduating class (2024). So Suhua downloaded the 2024 data, and also re-downloaded the 2020-2023 data (to reflect any possible revisions submitted to IPEDS by schools).

Fact:

In Gettysburg's 2024 graduating class, 37 students graduated with a Minor in Data Science.

Nationally, in the 2024 graduating class, 26 liberal arts colleges reported at least one (undergraduate) student graduating with a Major in Data Science; 10 liberal arts colleges reported at least one (undergraduate) student graduating with a Major in Data Analytics.

Footnote

• 26 liberal arts colleges reported at least one student graduating with a Major in Data Science: 8 of them reported one student graduating with this major.
• In downloading the IPEDS completions data, Suhua identified the Data Science Major and the Data Analytics Major based on their 4-digit CIP Codes (30.70 and 30.71, respectively). Note that when schools report completions data, they are asked to use the 6-digit CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code. In other words, the data Suhua downloaded captured all of the fields of study corresponding to their 6-digit CIP codes (e.g., Data Science, General; Data Analytics, General; Business Analytics) under the broader CIP codes of 30.70 and 30.71. Typically schools used 30.7001 and 30.7101. See the screenshot. The name of the major on a campus may be different from the IPEDS label. For example, at Smith College, the name for the field of study under the 6-digit CIP Code 30.7001 is Statistical and Data Sciences.
• Note the limitation of this posting: IPEDS did not collected data on currently enrolled students with a Major in Data Science or Data Analytics. Therefore, there may be liberal arts colleges which have currently enrolled students majoring in Data Science or Data Analytics, but have not graduated any student with that/those major(s) yet. IPEDS did not collect completions data on Minors.

Data Sources

• Interactive Dashboard on Minors Completed by Graduating Class (You can use the Sort icon in the header of the table)
• Suhua’s analyses of completions data downloaded from IPEDS on 02/26/2025 (IPEDS Class of 2024 data are preliminary at this point). To find out more: see the list of liberal arts colleges with graduates Majoring in Data Science or Data Analytics (as first major or second major) for each of the past 5 years (2020-2024) (Please use your Gettysburg network credentials to log in).

On Dec. 11, 2024, WICHE (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education) released its 11^th edition of U. S. high school graduate projections through a webcast. That day, following that webcast, WICHE published its report titled Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates.

Fact:

According to the latest projections from WICHE, the total number of U. S. high school graduates is expected to peak in 2025 and then decline steadily through 2041. Compared to 2023, 38 states will see declines in the number of high school graduates by 2041.

Footnote

• WICHE projections based on race and ethnicity are only for public high school graduates.
• You can find out more about the key findings, and data visualizations (interactive dashboards), based on overall number, race and ethnicity, region, and state.
• There are Filters on each data visualization page. For example, one of the Filters is “Graduation Years”; the default is set at from 2023 or 2024 to 2041. You can drag the slider so that it stops at a year you are curious about (e.g., 5 years from now--2030 high school graduates), and you will see the corresponding changes on the dashboards. Make sure you read “How to Use this Data Visualization” to know all the nuances.
• Lots of food for thought!

Data Source

• WICHE

At the Feb. 6, 2025 Faculty Meeting, as part of the Honor Code discussion, a few faculty members made comments about student views of grades. Today's topic for the FOTW was inspired by their comments.

As shared previously, the Office of Institutional Research conducted a new survey in Fall 2024—HEDS (Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium) New Student Survey. All new first-year students at least 18 years old were invited to take the Survey. At Gettysburg, the Survey was open from September 16 to Oct. 7. One of the Survey Questions: Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements (8 statements were listed): "Getting the best grades I can is very important to me." (Rating scale: Strongly agree (5) - Agree (4) - Neither agree nor disagree (3) – Disagree (2) – Strongly disagree (1)).

Fact:

Approximately 94% of our first-year students agree or strongly agree that "Getting the best grades I can is very important to me."

No statistically significant mean difference was found between Gettysburg and the Peer Group (93%), or between Gettysburg men and Gettysburg women.

Footnote

• No statistically significant mean difference was found between Gettysburg men and men in the Peer Group, or between Gettysburg women and women in the Peer Group. Gettysburg overall Mean (based on a 5-point rating scale): 4.531; Peer Group overall mean: 4.532.
• The self-selected Peer Group included 5 schools who participated in the Survey in 2024: Claremont McKenna, Dickinson, Lawrence Univ., St. Lawrence Univ., and St. Olaf College.
• The findings above were based on Suhua's analyses of a unit-record dataset provided by HEDS. The full report was posted on the Office of Institutional Research website (accessible to College employees only). 
• Gettysburg Survey response rate: 45%. Average response rate of the Peer Group: 63%.
• Although Suhua used the present verb tense in the summary sentence under Fact, the Survey was conducted in early Fall 2024, so it was a snapshot and some students' perceptions may have changed since then.
• A limitation of the Survey: Those who were not yet 18 years old (at the time of the Survey launch) were not invited to take the survey, per HEDS instructions.

Data Source

• Suhua’s analysis of the Fall 2024 HEDS New Student Survey data

Fact:

In Spring 2025, among our full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates (N=2,132), 169 or 7.9 percent are studying off-campus. In terms of spring semester off-campus study, this is the highest percentage in the College’s history.

In terms of spring semester off-campus study, the headcount (169) is the 2^nd highest in the College’s history.

Footnote

• The Spring 2025 total off-campus number (169) includes:
  • 163 students in the Global Study program (154 studying abroad; 9 in the domestic off-campus study program – Lutheran College, Washington);
  • 4 students in the 3-2 dual degree program;
  • 2 students completing requirements off-campus.
• In Spring 2014, 173 students or 6.6 percent (173/2627) were studying off-campus; in terms of spring semester off-campus study, both the number and the rate were the highest in the College’s history at that time.
• Spring 2025 total off-campus number (169) and percentage (7.9%): Neither is the highest if you also include fall semester off-campus study statistics in the comparisons.
• Prior to the Pandemic, consistently, more students studied off-campus in the fall than in the spring. Since the 2020-21 AY, the pattern has been inconsistent. (And no need to mention what happened in 2020 - the Pandemic.)
• For more historical data, see Page 32 of our 2024-25 Fact Book.
• For further info, please contact the Center for Global Education (CGE).

Data Sources

• Suhua’s analysis of the Spring 2025 Global Study Student List provided by CGE (Thank you, Steph Rye), Spring 2025 Off-Campus Study Student List based on Suhua’s query in PeopleSoft (Thank you, Dave Nettekoven at Data Systems who developed this query and many other queries for Suhua), and current and historical enrollment data.

Fact:

The College’s 2025 Virtual J-Term had 117 attendees across 12 sessions. In-person J-Term had 42 attendees across 6 immersion experiences.

Footnote

• Some students may have attended multiple virtual sessions. The total number of attendees displayed above may not be identical with the unduplicated headcount.
• Our J-Term was launched in January 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It "provides students with practical, hands-on programming over the winter break. Each program is designed to build upon classroom learning with crucial college, career, and life skills." (Find out more about J-Term)
• Despite the word “Term”, J-Term attendees are not included in our enrollment reporting, as they do not receive any academic credits from this experience.

Data Source

• Thank you, Jim Duffy (Assistant Vice President for Co-Curricular Education), for providing these numbers.

Fact:

42 of our undergraduates completed their degree requirements and graduated in December 2024. The table below and this chart show the Number of midyear graduates for the past 15 years. (This posting was updated on Feb. 6, Feb. 19, and Feb. 26, 2025. See Data Sources.)

Footnote

• The latest number of midyear graduates (N=42) is notably higher than that of the prior year (N=24). However, it is too early to say this represents an upward trend.
• Some of these midyear graduates were early completers; that is, it took them less than four years to graduate. Some of them were late completers; that is, they had been at the College for over four years. 

Data Sources

• Suhua’s analysis of completions data downloaded from PeopleSoft.
• On Feb. 6, 2025, the Registrar's Office notified Suhua that a student completed the degree requirements and was added to the Dec. 2024 graduate list on that day. Suhua therefore updated this posting on Feb. 6, changing the total from 39 (in the original posting published on Jan. 23) to 40. On Feb. 19, 2025, the Registrar's Office notified Suhua of another backdated Dec. 2024 graduate. Suhua therefore updated this posting again on Feb. 19, changing the total to 41. On Feb. 26, 2025, the Registrar's Office notified Suhua of another backdated Dec. 2024 graduate. Suhua therefore updated this posting again on Feb. 26, changing the total to 42. Because of these changes, the 3-yr average (2000, 2023, 2024) is now 32 (the original average was 31).