The Education Achievement Council has approved the 2020 Report Card for Northwest Mississippi Community College.

The EAC was created in 2010 by the state legislature to bring Mississippi’s educational attainment and skill levels of the working-age population to the national average by 2025. An electronic copy can be viewed at northwestms.edu/about/research-effectiveness. Physical copies can also be obtained from the college’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.

The report cards show the progress that has been made toward educational goals for each community college and university. The measures that are used align closely with the Voluntary Framework of Accountability developed by the American Association of Community Colleges.

Data from the report shows that the average ACT score of the college’s entering freshmen is 18.8, slightly higher than the state average of 18.5. In 2020, Northwest awarded a total of 1,732 degrees and certificates.

In the area of student success, first-time, full-time Northwest students fared better than the state average in expected time of enrollment and transfer, with 18.4 percent of Northwest students transferring within 150 percent of the expected time to graduate, compared to the state average of 15.7 percent. A 9.3 percent average of Northwest students remained enrolled within 150 percent of the expected time to graduate, higher than the state average of 6.2 percent. 

Retention in Associate of Applied Science programs was 65.1 percent, 6.1 percentage points higher than the state average of 59 percent. Retention in the college’s Associate of Arts pathways was 2.1 percentage points higher than the state average at 62.8 percent. Total retention was also higher than the state average at 63.1 percent, compared to 60.5 percent.

Concerning progression, or the time it takes to earn credits toward a degree, 24.3 percent of first-time, part-time students earned at least 24 credit hours toward graduation by the end of their second year. That number is 9.8 percentage points higher than the state average of 14.5 percent.

First-time, full-time students earned at least 42 credit hours toward graduation by the end of their second year at a rate of 50.6 percent, just above the state average of 48.1 percent.

In remediation success, Northwest students fared better than the state average for all students. The percentage of students who took developmental English and went on to successfully complete English Composition I was 51.6 percent, higher than the state average of 45.8 percent. The percentage of students who took developmental math and went on to successfully complete college algebra was 39.6 percent, 0.6 percentage points above the state average.

In Northwest’s Career-Technical student population, 818 students received their certificates. 

The college’s Workforce Solutions Department is also providing necessary training to citizens of the 11-county district, with 4,456 participants receiving workforce training in areas such as manufacturing, industrial maintenance, soft skills and safety/OSHA. In addition, 690 National Career Readiness Certificates were awarded through the college’s WIN Job Center.

The CRC is a nationally-recognized work skills credential that is widely used by employers to evaluate an employee’s or potential employee’s essential work skill level needed for success in jobs across industries and occupations.

The college’s Adult Education Department awarded 327 High School Equivalency (HSE) diplomas, with 2.8 percent of students enrolled in college courses at Northwest admitted with an HSE, compared to the state average of 3.7 percent. Proving that Northwest’s Adult Education program is giving students the tools they need to be successful, 50.5 percent of those enrolled in the program saw a measurable skills gain, 4.2 percentage points above the state average.

Information on the Community College Report Card includes student enrollment, degrees awarded, student success, student retention/progression, workforce development information, adult education statistics, as well as success in remedial coursework. Each report card includes information for the specific college, along with data for the system.

Most metrics are based upon a specified cohort of students, defined as a group of students who enter or start a program at the same time. Specific cohort definitions and dates are indicated with each metric. Cohort dates will vary, depending on whether the metric reflects entry or outcome data.

Where possible, these Report Cards use data being reported annually to the State Workforce Investment Board, the U.S. Department of Education, and to Complete College America. Other data comes in part from the Mississippi LifeTracks systems and have been independently validated by the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center at Mississippi State University.

For more about Northwest Community College, visit northwestms.edu.