Leaf Texture
Institutional Research

Benchmarking

Bench-marking is a process where college performance is measured and compared using many indicators in order to assess effectiveness and promote student success.

The U.S. Department of Education-National Center for Education Statistics maintains IPEDS (Integrated Post-Secondary Data Collection System), which collects data from colleges through a series of surveys each academic year and this data is then used in a variety of ways. The primary way the data is used is by providing interested parties the ability to make more informed choices about college by comparing data in areas like cost, size, location and demographics.

Another way this data can be used is for bench-marking which allows colleges to create a comparison group of similar colleges in order to benchmark in several achievement areas including retention and graduation.

The comparison group for Northeastern is made up of 14 community colleges throughout the United States. This group was selected for the 2021 benchmarking by using a process called statistical distance measuring where 12 month enrollment size, fall enrollment size, dorm status and number of full-time students was used to find the best statistical match to Northeastern.

The first three tables show the overall demographic comparisons between Northeastern and the comparison group for all students. The remaining tables show comparisons for degrees awarded and retention and graduation rates.

Source:  U.S. Department of Education National Center of Education Statistics

NOTE:  The totals do not always add up to 100% in the comparison group due to the methodologies used to calculate the median range.

Race/Ethnicity (All Students)

 

2017

 

2018

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

 

2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

American Indian/Alaska Native

1%

1%

0%

1%

0%

1%

0%

1%

0%

1%

0%

1%

Asian

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

0%

1%

Black or African American

3%

3%

3%

2%

3%

3%

2%

3%

2%

4%

2%

5%

Hispanic

13%

9%

14%

9%

18%

10%

17%

9%

17%

9%

16%

9%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

White Non-Hispanic

70%

64%

71%

65%

68%

63%

72%

61%

72%

65%

72%

63%

Two or More Races

3%

2%

2%

2%

3%

2%

3%

2%

2%

3%

3%

3%

Unknown Race/ Ethnicity

5%

3%

5%

3%

3%

4%

2%

2%

2%

3%

3%

3%

Non-Resident (International)

4%

2%

3%

2%

3%

3%

2%

3%

3%

3%

4%

2%

Northeastern has a higher percentage of Hispanic and White Non-Hispanic students than the comparison group.

Percentage of Females (All Students)

 

2017

 

2018

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

 

2022

 

 

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Female

55%

59%

57%

59%

55%

60%

59%

61%

58%

60%

64%

60%

The comparison group has had a slightly higher percentage of females than Northeastern until 2022.

Unduplicated 12 Month Headcount, FTE, and Full-Time/Part-Time Enrollment

 

2017

 

2018

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

 

2022

 

 

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Unduplicated Headcount

2,285

2,413

2,220

2,463

2,227

2,459

1,981

2,298

1,732

1,782

1,814

1,765

FTE (full-time equivalent)

1,250

1,169

1,150

1,180

1,104

1,092

991

1,053

905

876

924

849

Full-Time Enrollment

896

723

851

725

790

716

757

808

758

665

760

604

Part-Time Enrollment

651

977

641

921

600

982

1,224

1,480

974

1,069

1,054

1,135

Northeastern's headcount over the 12 month period has been slightly smaller than the comparison group until 2022.

Northeastern has a slightly higher number of full-time enrollments and a slightly smaller number of part-time enrollments; and Northeastern has higher FTE than the comparison group.  

Unduplicated headcount and FTE is measured for the academic year (summer, fall, and spring semesters combined), while full and part time enrollment is measured for the fall semester.

Degrees and Certificates Awarded

 

2017

 

2018

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

 

2022

 

 

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Associate's

273

259

328

238

293

229

269

230

249

217

215

223

Certificates (at least 1 yr but less than 2)

54

65

59

69

68

64

84

55

56

41

56

46

Certificates (less than 1 yr)

347

75

307

48

319

68

177

47

307

18

273

25

Northeastern awards more Associate degrees than the comparison group and significantly more certificates of less than one year until 2022 where for the first time, Northeastern is slightly behind; however, Northeastern still dominates in awarding many more certificates.  The large difference in certificates of less than one year may be due to what are known as stackable certificates that are awarded along with Associate of Applied Science degrees for Career and Technical programs at Northeastern.

Retention Rate

 

2017-Fall 2016 Cohort

 

2018-Fall 2017 Cohort

 

2019-Fall 2018 Cohort

 

2020-Fall 2019 Cohort

 

2021-Fall 2020 Cohort

 

2022-Fall 2021 Cohort

 

 

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern 

Comparison Grp

Full-Time, First-Time Degree Seeking

59%

57%

63%

61%

65%

57%

66%

59%

66%

60%

68%

61%

Part-Time, First-Time Degree Seeking

27%

33%

21%

37%

46%

42%

18%

38%

22%

34%

28%

42%

Northeastern has a higher retention percentage for full-time, first-time students than the comparison group.  Retention rates are measured from the first fall enrollment to the following fall enrollment. 

Cohort is defined as:  All students that are new first time enrolled for the fall semester.  Full and part time cohorts are tracked separately and only degree seeking students are counted.

Graduation and Transfer Out Rates

 

2017-Fall 2014 Cohort

 

2018-Fall 2015 Cohort

 

2019-Fall 2016 Cohort

 

2020-Fall 2017 Cohort

 

2021-Fall 2018 Cohort

 

2022-Fall 2019 Cohort

 

 

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Graduation Rate

38%

35%

46%

39%

48%

38%

48%

40%

52%

40%

51%

37%

Transfer Out Rate

17%

20%

12%

19%

13%

16%

12%

16%

8%

14%

10%

15%

Northeastern has higher graduation rates and lower transfer out rates than the comparison group.  Graduation rates are measured by tracking the cohort of full-time, first-time degree seeking students during the three year period beginning with the first fall enrollment to completion of program.  This three year period is also known as 150% time to completion and is the standard used by the U.S. Department of Education.

Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

 

2017-Fall 2014 Cohort

 

2018-Fall 2015 Cohort

 

2019-Fall 2016 Cohort

 

2020-Fall 2017 Cohort

 

2021-Fall 2018 Cohort

 

2022-Fall 2019 Cohort

 

 

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

American Indian/Alaska Native

33%

40%

33%

12%

20%

17%

25%

50%

0%

7%

100%

25%

Asian

100%

29%

100%

25%

80%

33%

100%

15%

50%

29%

100%

0%

Black or African American

6%

22%

17%

30%

19%

24%

35%

27%

17%

19%

31%

20%

Hispanic

29%

35%

31%

29%

26%

34%

24%

33%

43%

33%

36%

29%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

0%

50%

0%

17%

50%

0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

0%

 

White Non-Hispanic

47%

38%

53%

41%

58%

42%

57%

45%

57%

43%

57%

38%

Two or More Races

38%

30%

13%

28%

28%

21%

20%

33%

67%

33%

53%

44%

Unknown Race/ Ethnicity

43%

37%

54%

33%

67%

47%

36%

28%

67%

33%

75%

42%

Non-Resident (International)

50%

37%

50%

45%

38%

43%

36%

53%

46%

48%

57%

40%

Graduation rates for Northeastern in 2022 are higher for all but one ethnicity than the comparison group. 

Graduation Rates by Type of Financial Aid

 

2017-Fall 2014 Cohort

 

2018-Fall 2015 Cohort

 

2019-Fall 2016 Cohort

 

2020-Fall 2017 Cohort

 

2021-Fall 2018 Cohort

 

2022-Fall 2019 Cohort

 

 

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

Northeastern

Comparison Grp

PELL Grant Recipients

34%

29%

32%

33%

41%

32%

39%

37%

50%

35%

48%

33%

Subsidized Stafford Loan (did not receive PELL)

51%

33%

48%

38%

47%

36%

53%

37%

56%

32%

42%

38%

Neither PELL nor Stafford

40%

41%

60%

42%

55%

46%

56%

41%

54%

43%

58%

42%

Northeastern has higher graduation rates for PELL grant recipients than the comparison group for four of the five years.  Northeastern has higher graduation rates for Stafford loan recipients than for the comparison group.

Staff

Leslie Weinsheim
Director-Institutional Research, Planning & Development
970-521-6714
Knowles Hall- 309
Sterling
Leslie Weinsheim