ECTC graduation rate continues to climb

Published on Nov 21, 2024

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College students continued to make gains during the 2023-24 academic year, driving the college’s graduation rate to 59.5%, compared to the national average of 35.5% for two-year colleges.

“The new data shows that our mission to add value to our students’ lives and return that value to the community is as strong as ever,” said ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate. “This is extraordinary growth. I am so very proud of our students’ accomplishments, and I also want to congratulate the faculty and staff who make ECTC a place where students succeed.”

The graduation rate has been on the rise for several years at ECTC. The current rate is up 21.5 points from 38% in 2018-2019 and up almost 10 points from 49.6% during the 2022-2023 academic year.

The rate measures the percentage of full-time college students — dual credit students are not included — who earn a credential within three years of first enrolling at the college.

ECTC leaders said the college’s focus on quality teaching and multiple college initiatives and partnerships have contributed to increasing student success rates. Those initiatives include transitioning to an eight-week class schedule in Fall 2021.

The college also established the Student Success HUB in Fall 2022, centralizing services such as tutoring, success coaching and computer labs. The reorganization has led to increased student awareness of services and has made accessing services more convenient. Through the Student Success HUB Welcome Center, staff work with students to make sure they are aware of all services available, from math and writing tutoring, to help with computers and software, to non-academic support such as food and emergency assistance provided by Family Scholar House.

“We are very boots-on-the-ground, leveraging all resources and partnerships to ensure students have what they need to do well here,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Telly Sellars. “Taking that holistic view, we are helping more students overcome barriers, complete their academic programs and successfully move into the workforce or bachelor’s degree programs.”

In addition to the graduation rate, ECTC officials use the retention rate to indicate student success. The retention of first-time freshmen from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024 hit 65.2%, up from 62.6% last year and from 49.3% five years ago. Growth in the retention rate signals that the graduation rate will continue to increase.

“Student success metrics are a point of pride for the entire ECTC community,” Pate said. “We must remember what the numbers represent. This is about a greater proportion of ECTC students completing the training and education they need to pursue their dreams, support their families and contribute to our community.”