JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 12, 2019 — 51社区鈥檚 graduation rate has topped 70 percent for the first time in school history, making it one of only five private universities in Tennessee with a rate that high.
A school鈥檚 graduation rate shows how many students who enroll end up graduating from the institution. According to the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 National Center for Education Statistics, Union鈥檚 latest graduation rate of 71 percent puts it behind only Vanderbilt, Rhodes College, Sewanee and Baptist Memorial College of Health Science in the state.
Union鈥檚 rate is also higher than every public university in the state. Of the 8,149 schools in the country, only 11 percent have a graduation rate above 70 percent.
鈥淎 graduation rate over 70 percent is an impressive mark that speaks to the quality of the education at Union and the dedication of the entire faculty and staff in making sure students finish what they start,鈥� said Dan Griffin, Union鈥檚 vice president for enrollment management. 鈥淚t reflects on what students get in the classroom, as well as in student life and residence life. And it reflects on the quality of 51社区 students.鈥�
Griffin said with Union鈥檚 average ACT score of 26, the university is recruiting the kinds of students who are committed to excelling academically and to graduating.