Student Achievement
Student Achievement Data
Dallas Baptist University is committed to student learning and success as part of its mission to “provide Christ-centered quality higher education.” Moreover, the University’s 2019-2024 Strategic Plan Goal Two is “Strengthen Academic Programs” and includes strategies to “strengthen the learning environment and emphasize program completion by attracting, admitting, developing, and retaining an academically qualified, diverse student body” and to “develop effective academic processes, strengthen academic rigor, and improve student learning.”
To this end, DBU tracks and reports its performance regarding student retention, graduation rates, and other measures. For graduation rates DBU has identified 6-Year National Student Clearinghouse Total Completion Rate as its Key Student Completion Indicator, and reports student completion rates at six years after matriculation. DBU also tracks the success of its students in achieving professional certifications and assesses General Education and Academic Program Learner Centered Outcomes on a regular basis, using the learning and achievement data gathered to drive its continuous improvement efforts.
For each of the measures published here, a threshold of minimum acceptability is identified along with a justification, a goal for achievement is identified, and a brief narrative discusses DBU’s evaluation of success in the identified area.
Retention Rates
Minimum Threshold of Acceptability: DBU has established a 70% first-to-second year retention rate as its minimum threshold of acceptability. This threshold is based upon its recent historic performance in this area as well as a survey of other Texas Baptist Universities’ published retention rate standards.
The Goal for Achievement
DBU has established a goal to achieve 78% first-to-second year retention by the Fall of 2022 and to achieve 80% first-to second-year retention by the Fall of 2024. These goals are derived from the Strategic Plan and recent trends in this area.
Narrative: Fall-to-Fall retention measurements starting with Fall 2015-Fall 2016 through Fall 2019-Fall 2020 show that DBU met its threshold of minimum acceptability of retention each year, with its lowest retention of this period occurring from Fall 2015 to Fall 2016. Fall-to-Fall retention measurement for Fall 2020-Fall 2021 fell slightly below the minimum threshold. The impact of a worldwide pandemic created significant distress for students and families that affected students’ return to classes. Efforts continue to bring the retention rates back toward the goal of 80% retention by 2024.
Strategic initiatives to meet the 2022 and 2024 goals included the establishment of a comprehensive Mentoring Program and an appointed committee to evaluate services and programs for first-generation students. A Director of Retention was hired in 2019 to coordinate and lead the University’s efforts on student persistence. The University continued to expand Campus Life programming to assist students with social connections on campus.
Overall Graduation Rates
Minimum Threshold of Acceptability: DBU has established a minimum threshold of acceptability for its overall graduation rate of 53% of each cohort graduating within six years of matriculation. This threshold is based upon a historic average transfer-out rate of 33% as well as its recent historic performance in this area.
The Goal for Achievement
DBU has established a goal of 60% of each cohort graduating within six years of matriculation by the Fall of 2022 and a goal of 62% graduating within six years of matriculation by Fall of 2024. These goals are derived from the Strategic Plan and recent trends in this area.
Narrative: DBU has an average six-year graduation rate of 58% from cohorts beginning in 2010 to cohorts beginning in 2015. For each individual student, the time to graduation is impacted by a variety of factors including degree plan, number of hours attempted per semester, finances, employment, and other extenuating circumstances. DBU also emphasizes the accelerated bachelor’s to master’s programs which allow students to graduate once with both degrees in an extended time frame. Retention rates and graduation rates are connected, and as retention and persistence improve, then graduation rates should also see positive improvement. Therefore, the initiatives to improve retention and persistence are also key measures to improve graduation rates.
Graduate Employment Rates
Minimum Threshold of Accountability: DBU has established a 60% overall employment rate upon graduation as its minimum threshold of acceptability. This threshold is based upon employment rate yearly averages since 2016 (excluding the 2019-2020 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic) as well as a survey of other Texas Baptist Universities and peer institutions’ published employment placement rate standards.
The Goal for Achievement
DBU has established a goal of 70% employment rate to be achieved by the academic year 2023-2024. This goal is derived from recent performance and the Strategic Plan (Goal 2.2.1 - enhance student resources that support academic readiness, professional development, and career readiness; Goal 2.3.4 - prioritize the connection of academic experiences to career outcomes through opportunities such as internships, career placement services, and career-driven programs).
Employment Rates at Graduation
Academic Years 2016/2017-2020/2021*
*No academic-year data from 2019-2020 is reported due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The only semester for which data could be gathered was December 2020, with 57% of graduates reporting employment.
Narrative: DBU students are surveyed upon graduation to determine whether they are employed. For students graduating in the 2020/2021 academic year, 63% reported employment.
The University continues to expand the Center for Career and Professional Development, including the Career Services, Service-Learning, and Mentoring departments, to greater assist students in achieving a successful career path.
Teacher Licensure
Minimum Threshold of Acceptability: The Dallas Baptist University Educator Preparation Program has established a minimum threshold of acceptability of 85% of candidates passing licensure tests by the second attempt. This threshold is based on historic performance of candidates for teacher licensure in the DBU EPP and applies to undergraduate candidates seeking initial certification as well as to graduate candidates seeking advanced certification.
The Goal for Achievement
The Dallas Baptist University Educator Preparation Program expects 100% of candidates to pass all licensure tests by the second attempt. This goal applies to undergraduate candidates seeking initial certification as well as to graduate candidates seeking advanced certification.
TExES Professional Pedagogy and Responsibilities Test is required of all teacher-certification candidates. Depending on their area of certification candidates take a variety of content tests. Graduate candidates seeking advanced certifications take a variety of licensure test including those for school counselor, principal, superintendent, educational diagnostician, and reading specialist.
TExES PPR Passing Rates 2017-Present
TExES Examination: Initial Certification 2017-Present
TExES Content Passing Rates 2017-Present
TExES Examination: Advanced Certification 2017-Present
Narrative: Since 2017 90-100% of teacher candidates in the DBU Educator Preparation Program have passed their TExES PPR, Content, and Advanced Certificate licensure tests by the second attempt.
College of Christian Faith Graduation and Employment Rates
College of Christian Faith Graduation Rates
Minimum Threshold of Acceptability: In alignment with DBU standards, the College of Christian Faith has established a minimum threshold of acceptability for its overall graduation rate of 53% of each cohort graduating within six years of matriculation. This threshold is based upon a historic average transfer-out rate of 33% as well as its recent historic performance in this area.
The Goal for Achievement: In alignment with DBU standards, the College of Christian Faith has established a goal of 60% of each cohort graduating within six years of matriculation by the Fall of 2022 and a goal of 62% graduating within six years of matriculation by Fall of 2024. These goals are derived from the Strategic Plan and recent trends in this area.
Narrative: The following graduation rates represent counts for students who have completed their degree programs and for those who have yet to graduate based on catalog year. This data is accurate as of September 6, 2022.
College of Christian Faith Employment Data
Minimum Threshold of Accountability: In alignment with DBU, the College of Christian Faith has established a 60% overall employment rate upon graduation as its minimum threshold of acceptability. This threshold is based upon employment rate yearly averages since 2016 (excluding the 2019-2020 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic) as well as a survey of other Texas Baptist Universities and peer institutions’ published employment placement rate standards.
The Goal for Achievement: In alignment with DBU, the College of Christian Faith has established a goal of 70% employment rate to be achieved by the academic year 2023-2024.
Narrative: As of Spring 2022 the College of Christian Faith achieved an employment rate of 87.5%., well within the goal of 70% by 2023-2024.
Graduate School of Ministry Completion and Employment Rates
Graduate School of Ministry Program Completion Rates
Minimum Threshold of Acceptability: For its degree completion rate, the Dallas Baptist University Graduate School of Ministry degree programs have established a minimum threshold of acceptability of 60% of candidates completing their respective program within 3 years, averaging over 6 long semesters, excluding dual degrees.
The Goal for Achievement: The goal for achievement is for 70% of candidates to complete the program within 3 years, averaging over 6 long semesters, excluding dual degrees.
| Graduate School of Ministry | Fall 2019 - Graduation by May 2022 |
| Original Cohort | 51 |
| Graduates from Cohort | 31 |
| 3-Year Graduation Rates | 6!% |
| Graduate School of Ministry | Fall 2018-Graduation by May 2021 |
| Original Cohort | 53 |
| Graduates from Cohort | 29 |
| 3-Year Graduation Rates | 55% |
Narrative: The Graduate School of Ministry met the minimum threshold of acceptability this past 3-year cycle of 60% but did not meet the goal for achievement of 70%, with a calculation of 61% completion rate. However, the completion rate for this 3-year cycle reflects a substantial improvement over the last cycle’s 55% rate. The GSOM will continue to track this data based on enrollment and graduation reports.
Graduate School of Ministry Program Employment Rates
Minimum Threshold of Acceptability: For its employment rate, the Dallas Baptist University Graduate School of Ministry degree programs have established a minimum threshold of acceptability of 60% of graduates employed with a related job position upon graduation.
The Goal for Achievement: The goal for achievement is for 70% of graduates to be employed with related job position upon graduation.
Narrative: The Graduate School of Ministry did meet the minimum threshold of acceptability this past year of 60% and was only 2% short of meeting the goal for achievement of 70%, with an average calculation of 68.13%. They will continue to track this information from the graduation surveys to achieve more longitudinal data, as they currently only have one year worth of survey response to analyze. Additional efforts should be considered for median calculation strategies, given each graduation season varies in number of actual graduates in spring, summer, and fall commencements experiences. A more accurate comparison would be comparing same semester over multiple academic years instead of averaging each throughout the calendar year.
Cook School of Leadership
Ed.D. Program Completion Rates
Minimum Threshold of Accountability: The Dallas Baptist University Gary Cook School of Leadership Ed.D. Program is designed for graduates to complete all requirements and graduate in 36 months or 3 years. For the current accelerated three-year model, a minimum threshold of acceptability of 60% of candidates completing the program within 36 months or 3 years has been established.
The Goal for Achievement: The goal for achievement is for 75% of candidates to complete the program within 36 months or 3 years.
Ph.D. Program Completion Rates
Minimum Threshold of Accountability: For its degree completion rate, the Dallas Baptist University Gary Cook School of Leadership Ph.D. Program has established a minimum threshold of acceptability of 60% of candidates completing the program within 6 years.
The Goal for Achievement: The goal for achievement is for 75% of candidates to complete the program within 6 years.
Narrative: Though the Cook School of Leadership exceeded the minimum threshold of acceptability in each of the past three years, we did not achieve our goal. We have instituted new policies in the student's last semester of coursework to help them more effectively transition into the dissertation stage of the program.
Master's Degrees
Minimum Threshold of Acceptability: For its master’s degree completion rate, the Gary Cook School of Leadership has established a minimum threshold of acceptability of 60% of candidates completing master’s degrees in 3 years.
The Goal of Achievement: The goal for achievement is for 75% of candidates to complete the program within 3 years.
Narrative: From Fall 2018 to Summer 2019, 40 master’s students have entered the CSL. Of those 40 students, 21 students, or 53%, have graduated within 3 years. Although this falls short of the minimum threshold of 60%, these categories spanned the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected that in subsequent years, efforts by the CSL and the subsiding pandemic will boost numbers above the threshold. The data presented here are accurate as of September 6, 2022.
CSL Employment Rates
Minimum Threshold of Accountability: In alignment with DBU, the Cook School of Leadership has established a 60% overall employment rate upon graduation as its minimum threshold of acceptability. This threshold is based upon employment rate yearly averages since 2016 (excluding the 2019-2020 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic) as well as a survey of other Texas Baptist Universities and peer institutions’ published employment placement rate standards.
The Goal for Achievement: In alignment with DBU, the Cook School of Leadership has established a goal of 70% employment rate to be achieved by the academic year 2023-2024. This goal is derived from recent performance and the Strategic Plan (Goal 2.2.1 - enhance student resources that support academic readiness, professional development, and career readiness; Goal 2.3.4 - prioritize the connection of academic experiences to career outcomes through opportunities such as internships, career placement services, and career-driven programs).
Narrative: Graduate and doctoral respondents reported a 100% employment rate after graduation as of Spring 2022. This score is well above the minimum threshold and the goal of achievement.