With its graduation rates on the rise, Palm Beach State College is now the eighth-largest producer of associate’s degree graduates in the United States, climbing three notches from last year’s ranking, according to Community College Week.
The annual rankings by the education publication show that PBSC awarded 4,598 degrees in the 2012-213 academic year, a 9 percent hike over last year. The college also saw a similar graduation spike in the previous year.
PBSC rose above Kaplan University-Davenport Campus and Colorado Technical College, as well as Keiser University-Fort Lauderdale, with whom PBSC tied for the 11th spot last year. However, among the 28 public colleges in the Florida college system, which dominate the top spots in the rankings, PBSC remains the fifth-largest producer of associate’s degrees.
The news comes as PBSC has implemented a completion agenda that puts more emphasis on completion rates and additional resources to address barriers to graduation, which includes early intervention programs to help students facing academic and attendance challenges. The college also has put more focus on the educational planning process to ensure students take appropriate courses for their degree, and on new scholarships and financial aid opportunities.
Two years ago, the college began automatically graduating students who completed all of the requirements for their degrees, but transferred to a university or entered the workforce without applying for graduation.
“We are putting a lot of emphasis on student success,” said Dr. Peter Barbatis, vice president of student services and enrollment management. “Palm Beach State College is committed to supporting our students’ completion of their program of study and preparing them for further education or the workforce.”
PBSC also is ninth in the nation in the number of associate’s degrees awarded to minorities, compared to 13th last year. It is 8th in the nation in the number awarded specifically to African-Americans, compared to 14th the previous year. It also ranks 12th for the number awarded to Hispanics, rising from 19th.
Barbatis said the hikes are in line with the changing student demographics. “We’re becoming a more diverse student body, and as a result, we’re having higher graduation rates,” he said. “The support is here.”
