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Our Mission
With commitment to the principles of access, opportunity, student success, and excellence, the mission of Northern Virginia Community College is to deliver world-class, in-person and online postsecondary teaching, learning, and workforce development to ensure our region and the Commonwealth of Virginia have an educated population and a globally competitive workforce.
Public Disclosure of Student Achievement
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Principles of Accreditation, Standard 8.1 (Student Achievement) requires institutions to identify, evaluate, and publish goals and outcomes for student achievement appropriate to the institution's mission, the nature of the students it serves, and the kinds of programs offered. It also indicates that the institution should use multiple measures to document student success. Requirements for publication are further specified in the SACSCOC Policy on Institutional Obligations for Public Disclosure.
Measures of Student Achievement Criteria at NOVA
NOVA’s eight primary student achievement criteria are College Readiness, Enrollment, Course Success, Retention, Graduation, Transfer, Job Placement, and Licensing Exams. These student achievement criteria are directly related to NOVA’s mission and commitment to the values of student access and success.
The figures below highlight NOVA’s performance on each of the eight student achievement criteria. The figures also include an achievement goal for each criterion, set as part of NOVA’s strategic planning process. The achievement goal serves as a target performance level. NOVA is committed to continuous improvement on each of its eight student achievement criteria.
- College Readiness
- Enrollment
- Course Success
- Retention
- Graduation
- Transfer
- Job Placement
- Licensing Exams
College readiness refers to the percentage of first-time to NOVA students enrolled in a developmental course in their first term who subsequently enrolled in a college-level course within two years of initial enrollment.
- English: College readiness in English is developmental English students’ rate of progression to ENG 111: College Composition I.
- Achievement goal for the Fall 2020 cohort: 87.5 percent
- Math: College readiness in math is developmental math students’ rate of progression to two separate college-level math courses: MTH 151/154: Mathematics for the Liberal Arts I / Quantitative Reasoning or MTH 163/161: Pre-Calculus I.
- Achievement goal for the Fall 2020 cohort: 27.5 percent (MTH 151/154) and 16.0 percent (MTH 163/161)
Developmental English Student Progression to
College-Level English (ENG 111): Fall 2014 through Fall 2020
| Cohort | N | Progressed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | ||
| Fall 2014 | 1,468 | 1,270 | 86.5 |
| Fall 2015 | 1,434 | 1,243 | 86.7 |
| Fall 2016 | 1,390 | 1,232 | 88.6 |
| Fall 2017 | 1,201 | 1,031 | 85.8 |
| Fall 2018 | 1,235 | 1,061 | 85.9 |
| Fall 2019 | 1,494 | 1,299 | 86.9 |
| Fall 2020* | 87.5 | ||
Notes: College-level English is ENG 111: College Composition I. Progression within two years of initial enrollment (e.g., Fall 2017: progressed between Fall 2017 and Summer 2019). Data include first-time to NOVA students who enrolled in developmental English during their first term of enrollment.
Developmental Math Student Progression to
College-Level Math (MTH 151/MTH 154): Fall 2014 through Fall 2020
Developmental Math Student Progression to
College-Level Math (MTH 163/161): Fall 2014 through Fall 2020
| Cohort | N | Progressed to MTH 151/154 | Progressed to MTH 163/161 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| Fall 2014 | 2,318 | 400 | 17.3 | 185 | 8.0 |
| Fall 2015 | 2,192 | 352 | 16.1 | 185 | 8.4 |
| Fall 2016 | 2,025 | 308 | 15.2 | 175 | 8.6 |
| Fall 2017 | 1,702 | 281 | 26.5 | 175 | 10.3 |
| Fall 2018 | 1,401 | 305 | 21.8 | 128 | 9.1 |
| Fall 2019 | 1,126 | 300 | 26.6 | 171 | 15.2 |
| Fall 2020* | 16.0 | ||||
Notes: In Fall 2018, the math curriculum was redesigned. MTH 151: Mathematics for the Liberal Arts I was replaced with MTH 154: Quantitative Reasoning. MTH 163: Pre-Calculus I was reclassified as MTH 161: Pre-Calculus I Progression within two years of initial enrollment (e.g., Fall 2017: progressed between Fall 2017 and Summer 2019). Data include first-time to NOVA students who enrolled in developmental math during their first term of enrollment.
NOVA measures enrollment through two metrics:
- Fall Headcount: The fall headcount is defined as the headcount of students enrolled in the fall semester.
- Achievement goal for Fall 2021: 53,500 students
- Annual Headcount: The annual unduplicated headcount is defined as the unduplicated headcount of students enrolled at any time during the entire 12-month academic year (i.e., summer, fall, and spring semesters).
- Achievement goal for annual enrollment in 2021-22: 75,500 students
Fall Headcount: Fall 2016 through Fall 2021
Annual Unduplicated Headcount: 2015-16 through 2021-22
| Academic Year | Fall Headcount | Annual Unduplicated Headcount |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 52,078 | 75,858 |
| 2016-17 | 50,835 | 74,283 |
| 2017-18 | 51,190 | 73,657 |
| 2018-19 | 50,929 | 73,639 |
| 2019-20 | 51,822 | 71,837 |
| 2020-21 | 52,873 | 74,804 |
| 2021-22* | 53,500 | 75,500 |
Course success is defined as a grade of “A,” “B,” “C,” “P,” or “S.” Additionally, in Spring 2020 courses, students were considered successful if they earned a grade of “P+.” Course success at NOVA is measured in two ways:
- Overall Course Success: The overall course success rate for the College.
- Achievement goal in Fall 2021: 76.5 percent
- Gatekeeper Course Success: The success rates in five college-level gatekeeper courses.
- Achievement goals for the Fall 2021 cohort:
- ACC 211 – Principles of Accounting I: 74.0 percent
- BIO 101 – General Biology I: 81.0 percent
- ENG 111 – College Composition I: 80.0 percent
- MTH 154 – Quantitative Reasoning: 67.0 percent
- MTH 161 – Pre-Calculus I: 68.0 percent
- Achievement goals for the Fall 2021 cohort:
Overall Course Success Rate: Fall 2016 through Fall 2021
| Term | Total Course Enrollment | Success Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | ||
| Fall 2016 | 142,480 | 105,825 | 74.3 |
| Fall 2017 | 141,179 | 104,696 | 74.2 |
| Fall 2018 | 138,507 | 102,495 | 74.0 |
| Fall 2019 | 135,426 | 103,274 | 76.3 |
| Fall 2020 | 132,904 | 100,271 | 75.4 |
| Fall 2021* | 76.5 | ||
Gatekeeper Course Success Rate in ACC 211: Principles of Accounting I – Fall 2015 through Fall 2021
Gatekeeper Course Success Rate in BIO 101: General Biology I – Fall 2015 through Fall 2021
Gatekeeper Course Success Rate in ENG 111: College Composition I – Fall 2015 through Fall 2021
Gatekeeper Course Success Rate in MTH 151: Math for the Liberal Arts I / MTH 154: Quantitative Reasoning – Fall 2015 through Fall 2021
Gatekeeper Course Success Rate in MTH 163/161: Pre-Calculus I – Fall 2015 through Fall 2021
| Cohort | ACC 211 | BIO 101 | ENG 111 | MTH 151/154 | MTH 163/161 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | Succeeded | N | Succeeded | N | Succeeded | N | Succeeded | N | Succeeded | ||||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||||||
| Fall 2015 | 674 | 426 | 63.2 | 1,744 | 1,309 | 75.1 | 8,236 | 6,464 | 78.5 | 1,148 | 814 | 70.9 | 1,867 | 1,062 | 56.9 |
| Fall 2016 | 537 | 364 | 67.8 | 1,595 | 1,202 | 75.4 | 6,857 | 5,280 | 77 | 939 | 644 | 68.6 | 1,920 | 1,143 | 59.5 |
| Fall 2017 | 449 | 294 | 65.5 | 1,327 | 1,003 | 75.6 | 6,505 | 4,835 | 74.3 | 977 | 649 | 66.4 | 1,790 | 1,019 | 56.9 |
| Fall 2018 | 408 | 279 | 68.4 | 1,594 | 1,234 | 77.4 | 6,593 | 4,910 | 74.5 | 1,788 | 1,133 | 63.4 | 1,690 | 926 | 54.8 |
| Fall 2019 | 386 | 280 | 72.5 | 1,373 | 1,134 | 82.6 | 8,116 | 6,556 | 80.8 | 1,954 | 1,275 | 65.3 | 1,688 | 1,139 | 67.5 |
| Fall 2020 | 379 | 279 | 73.6 | 1,274 | 980 | 76.9 | 9,006 | 7,064 | 78.4 | 1,997 | 1,244 | 62.3 | 1,744 | 1,147 | 65.7 |
| Fall 2021* | 74.0 | 81.0 | 80.0 | 67.0 | 68.0 | ||||||||||
Notes: Data include first-time to NOVA students enrolled in corresponding course who were successful within one year of initial enrollment (e.g., Fall 2018: successful between Fall 2018 and Summer 2019). In Fall 2018, the math curriculum was redesigned. MTH 151: Mathematics for the Liberal Arts I was replaced with MTH 154: Quantitative Reasoning. MTH 163: Pre-Calculus I was reclassified as MTH 161: Pre-Calculus I.
NOVA measures retention through two metrics:
- Fall-to-Spring Retention Rate: The percentage of first-time, program placed students enrolled in the fall who either re-enrolled or successfully completed their program by the subsequent spring.
- Achievement goal for the Fall 2021 entering cohort: 82.0 percent
- Fall-to-Fall Retention Rate: The percentage of first-time, program placed students enrolled in the fall who either re-enrolled or successfully completed their program by the subsequent fall.
- Achievement goal for the Fall 2021 entering cohort: 62.5 percent
Fall-to-Spring Retention Rate: Fall 2015 through Fall 2021
Fall to Fall Retention Rate: Fall 2017 through Fall 2022
| Cohort | N | Retained from Fall-to-Spring | Retained from Fall to Fall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| Fall 2014 | 9,141 | 7,325 | 80.1 | 5,787 | 63.6 |
| Fall 2015 | 9,330 | 7,606 | 81.5 | 5,913 | 63.4 |
| Fall 2016 | 8,884 | 7,269 | 81.8 | 5,851 | 65.9 |
| Fall 2017 | 8,619 | 6,971 | 80.9 | 5,621 | 65.2 |
| Fall 2018 | 8,799 | 7,171 | 81.5 | 5,679 | 64.5 |
| Fall 2019 | 8,404 | 6,847 | 81.5 | 5,730 | 62.6 |
| Fall 2020 | 8,728 | 6,817 | 78.1 | 5,569 | 63.8 |
| Fall 2021 | 8,822 | 7,234 | 82.0 | 5,311 | 60.2 |
| Fall 2022* | 62.5 | ||||
*Achievement goal.
Source: Office of Strategic Insights, Northern Virginia Community College.
Notes: Fall-to-spring retention is the percentage of first-time in college, program placed students who enter in the fall and either re-enroll or successfully complete their program by the following spring semester. Fall-to-fall retention is the percentage of first-time in college, program placed students who enter in the fall and either re-enroll or successfully complete their program by the following fall semester.
Fall-to-fall retention rate data for the Fall 2021 cohort are preliminary due to delayed award completions.
NOVA measures graduation through two metrics:
- Number of Graduates: The total unduplicated number of annual graduates.
- Achievement goal in 2021-22: 8,200 graduates
- Graduation Rate: The graduation rate is the percentage of first-time in college, full-time, degree-/certificate-seeking students who complete their program within 150 percent of normal time to program completion.
- Achievement goal for the Fall 2018 entering cohort: 30.1 percent
Annual Number of Graduates: 2015-2016 through 2021-2022
| Academic Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2015-2016 | 6,939 |
| 2016-2017 | 6,669 |
| 2017-2018 | 6,347 |
| 2018-2019 | 6,747 |
| 2019-2020 | 6,954 |
| 2020-2021 | 7,799 |
| 2021-2022* | 8,200 |
Graduation Rate: Fall 2012 through Fall 2018
| Cohort | N | Graduated | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | ||
| Fall 2012 | 5,137 | 1,159 | 22.6 |
| Fall 2013 | 5,819 | 1,389 | 23.9 |
| Fall 2014 | 5,815 | 1,456 | 25.0 |
| Fall 2015 | 5,881 | 1,543 | 26.2 |
| Fall 2016 | 5,793 | 1,548 | 26.7 |
| Fall 2017 | 5,505 | 1,613 | 29.3 |
| Fall 2018* | 30.1 | ||
Notes: Graduates include first-time in college, full-time, program placed students who graduated within 150 percent of normal time to program completion, including summer.
Fall 2017 data are preliminary due to delayed award completions.
NOVA measures transfer through two metrics:
- Number of Transfers: The total number of annual transfers to four-year institutions.
- Achievement goal in 2020-21: 12,900 transfers
- Transfer-Out Rate: The percentage of first-time in college, full-time, degree-/certificate-seeking students who transferred out of NOVA to another two-year or four-year institution within 150 percent of normal time to program completion without earning a NOVA credential.
- Achievement goal for the Fall 2018 entering cohort: 18.0 percent
Annual Number of Transfers: 2015-16 through 2020-21
| Academic Year | Number of Transfers |
|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 9,513 |
| 2016-17 | 10,314 |
| 2017-18 | 11,215 |
| 2018-19 | 12,101 |
| 2019-20 | 11,714 |
| 2020-21* | 12,900 |
Notes: Data include students who previously attended NOVA within the prior eight years, e.g., for 2018-19, data include students who attended NOVA between 2011-12 and 2018-19 and transferred to a four-year institution during the 2018-19 academic year (regardless of when they were last enrolled at NOVA).
Transfer-Out Rate: Fall 2012 through Fall 2018
| Cohort | N | Transferred Out of NOVA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | ||
| Fall 2012 | 5,137 | 799 | 15.6 |
| Fall 2013 | 5,819 | 932 | 16.0 |
| Fall 2014 | 5,815 | 948 | 16.3 |
| Fall 2015 | 5,881 | 919 | 15.6 |
| Fall 2016 | 5,793 | 994 | 17.2 |
| Fall 2017 | 5,505 | 804 | 14.6 |
| Fall 2018* | 18.0 | ||
Notes: Transfers include first-time in college, full-time, program placed students who transferred out of NOVA to another two- or four-year institution within 150 percent of normal time to program completion, including summer, but does not include students who graduated from NOVA prior to transferring.
Fall 2017 data are preliminary due to delayed award completions.
The job placement rate is the percentage of graduates employed in the Commonwealth of Virginia within one year of graduation from NOVA.
- Achievement goal for 2020-21 graduates: 66.5 percent
Job Placement Rate: 2014-15 through 2020-21
| Graduation Year | N | Employed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | ||
| 2014-15 | 6,771 | 4,467 | 66.0 |
| 2015-16 | 6,939 | 4,686 | 66.3 |
| 2016-17 | 6,669 | 4,412 | 66.7 |
| 2017-18 | 6,347 | 4,208 | 66.2 |
| 2018-19 | 6,747 | 4,389 | 66.1 |
| 2019-20 | 6,954 | 4,093 | 58.9 |
| 2020-21* | 66.5 | ||
Notes: Data include students who were employed in the Commonwealth of Virginia within one year of graduation from NOVA. Data exclude military personnel, federal civilian employees, and self-employed individuals.
The licensing exam pass rate is the percentage of graduates who pass the national or state licensing exam for their program following graduation from NOVA.
- Achievement goal for 2020: 100.0 percent
Licensing Examination Pass Rates: 2020
| Program | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of Students | Pass Rate | # of Students | Pass Rate | # of Students | Pass Rate | # of Students | Pass Rate | |
| Dental Assisting | 11 | 100.0 | 7 | 100.0 | 7 | 100.0 | 2 | 100.0 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography* | 12 | 100.0 | 17 | 100.0 | 15 | 100.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Paramedic | 29 | 86.0 | 25 | 88.0 | 24 | 83.0 | 28 | 73.7 |
| EMT (Basic) | 107 | 92.0 | 111 | 81.0 | 79 | 82.0 | 67 | 75.3 |
| Nursing | 156 | 88.5 | 145 | 87.0 | 127 | 86.0 | 72 | 77.0 |
| Veterinary Technology | 46 | 75.9 | 58 | 86.2 | 38 | 68.4 | 27 | 81.8 |
| Radiography | 31 | 87.0 | 33 | 94.0 | 32 | 84.0 | 25 | 89.3 |
| Respiratory Therapy | 17 | 100.0 | 15 | 100.0 | 13 | 92.0 | 14 | 93.3 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | 26 | 100.0 | 34 | 100.0 | 27 | 96.3 | 29 | 96.7 |
| Dental Hygiene | 37 | 94.60 | 31 | 93.5 | 39 | 84.6 | 27 | 100.0 |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | 16 | 94.0 | 9 | 100.0 | 13 | 100.0 | 5 | 100.0 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant** | 16 | 100.0 | 17 | 100.0 | 15 | 100.0 | 2 | 100.0 |
Notes: Exam Takers includes all program graduates who took the licensing exam for their program in the indicated year, regardless of the year they graduated from NOVA. Data may include more than one exam attempt or students retaking the exam.