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New Paltz earns high marks on USDOE College Scorecard

Andrew Bruso

The United States Department of Education (USDOE) has unveiled its College Scorecard, a new web-based resource for students-to-be and their families that compiles big data on U.S. colleges and universities in an easy-to-understand format and measures each institution relative to national averages.

The Scorecard rates SUNY New Paltz highly, reflecting that the average annual cost of a New Paltz education is below the national average and that both the College’s graduation rate and graduates’ median salary are above national averages.

“The Scorecard reflects how well New Paltz is performing relative to national norms, and the comparisons are quite favorable,” said L. David Eaton, vice president of enrollment management. “With outstanding faculty, excellent facilities and highly motivated students, we have good reason to be proud, but never satisfied.  As good as we are, we must always endeavor to be better.”

NP Scorecard

The College Scorecard data on how New Paltz stacks up include the following findings:

  • New Paltz students graduate with a four year degree at a rate of 72% within six years of enrollment, much higher than the 44% national average;
  • The median salary of New Paltz graduates ten years after they enroll is $46,000, well above the national average of $34,343;
  • The College has a first-year retention rate of 87%, compared to a 67% national average;
  • The average annual cost of a New Paltz education is $15,479, more than $1,000 less than the national average;
  • 88% of New Paltz graduates have repaid some part of their loan debt within three years of leaving school, compared to a 67% national average.

It is important to note that the College Scorecard data pertaining to post-graduation salary and loan debt apply only to students who received federal financial aid as students. While this limitation keeps it from being a statistically comprehensive dataset, the massive quantity of information about colleges and students made publicly and freely available through this initiative is unprecedented. It is for that reason that the College Scorecard is being hailed as a major step toward achieving transparency in higher education.

For more information about the College Scorecard and to access the data that supports it, visit https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/.