A new federal report shows Red Raiders rank above the national average in graduation rate and annual salary after attending college.
The data were released last week through the College Scorecard, a U.S. Department of Education website created to help guide students in their search for higher education. The website, which offers detailed information for all two- and four-year colleges, launched Sept. 12.
Alberto Betancourt, a DOE spokesman, said in an email to The Hub@TTU that the College Scorecard is part of the Obama administration’s effort to make college affordable.
“As part of that effort, in August 2013, [the president] asked us to develop a site that will help students compare the value offered by colleges and that will hold institutions accountable for preparing their students to be successful,” Betancourt wrote.
The median salary of Texas Tech alumni 10 years after attending is $46,100. By comparison, the national average is $34,343. The data include only former students who received federal financial aid.
In another piece of good news, the report shows 75 percent of Tech alumni make more than people with only a high school degree.
Texas Tech Health Sciences Center alumni are even better earners. Their median salary 10 years after attending is $65,000—and 94 percent of them make more than high school graduates.
Tech students also have bragging rights because 60 percent of them finish their degrees. By comparison, the national average graduation rate is 44 percent.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education.
Jamie Hansard, managing director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, said the favorable statistics may help increase enrollment.
“When students are looking for a place to go to college, they like to see positive things, and I think Tech’s graduation and salary statistics are very positive,” Hansard said.
Texas Tech is above average in most categories, but there is room for improvement, said Vicki West, managing director of the Office of Institutional Research.
“We’ve been better. It’s not our best,” West said. “The stats change every year.”
The DOE anticipates the College Scorecard will help colleges and universities improve, according to Betancourt.
“By looking at the data across colleges, as well as possible gaps in achievement within the college itself, schools will be better informed and better prepared to identify, strategize and correct problems and shortcomings,” he wrote.
Texas Tech shines nationally in several other recent reports. It was named one of 86 “Best Colleges to Work For 2015” by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The U.S. News & World Report annual report ranked Texas Tech as the 168th best national university in the country. Various Tech programs, including the Rawls College of Business and the agricultural communication program, have also received national accolades.
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