1. Awards Conferred
Goal/Target: Virginia Western will increase the total number of awards conferred by 2% from the previous year.
Threshold of Acceptability: Virginia Western’s maintain the total number of awards conferred from the previous year.
Source: SIS
Frequency of Assessment: Annually
| Academic Year | Number of Awards | % Change from Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-2017 | 1,290 | – |
| 2017-2018 | 1,056 | -18.1% |
| 2018-2019 | 1,211 | +14.7% |
| 2019-2020 | 1,016 | -16.1% |
| 2020-2021 | 1,133 | +11.5% |
| 2021-2022 | 1,184 | +4.5% |
| 2022-2023 | 1,136 | -4.1% |
| 2023-2024 | 1,298 | +14.3% |
| 2024-2025 | 1,372 | +5.7% |
| 2025-2026 | 1,499 | +9.3% |
Conclusion: In 2025-2026, VWCC conferred 1,499 awards. This is an increase of 9.3% from the previous year, meeting the goal of increasing awards conferred by 2%.
2. Number of Graduates
Goal/Target: Virginia Western will increase the total number of graduates by 2% from the previous year.
Threshold of Acceptability: Virginia Western’s total number of graduates will be maintained from the previous year.
Source: SIS
Frequency of Assessment: Annually
| Academic Year | Number of Graduates | % Change from Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-2017 | 1,105 | – |
| 2017-2018 | 976 | -11.7% |
| 2018-2019 | 1,062 | +8.8% |
| 2019-2020 | 898 | -15.4% |
| 2020-2021 | 989 | +10.1% |
| 2021-2022 | 1,012 | +2.3% |
| 2022-2023 | 927 | -8.4% |
| 2023-2024 | 1,035 | +11.7% |
| 2024-2025 | 1,109 | +7.1% |
| 2025-2026 | 1,195 | +7.8% |
Conclusion: In 2025-2026, VWCC graduated 1,195 students. This is an increase of 7.8% from the previous year, meeting the goal of increasing the total number of graduates by 2%.
3. Overall Cohort Graduation Rate
Goal/Target: Virginia Western will have an overall cohort graduation rate of 36%*.
Threshold of Acceptability: Virginia Western will have an overall cohort graduation rate of 34%.
Source: IPEDS
Frequency of Assessment: Annually
* Cohort consists of full-time, degree-seeking students with no prior college experience who graduated within federally defined IPEDs rate of 150% of normal graduation time
| Fall Cohort | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 27% |
| 2014 | 28% |
| 2015 | 33% |
| 2016 | 32% |
| 2017 | 35% |
| 2018 | 33% |
| 2019 | 33% |
| 2020 | 41% |
| 2021 | 40% |
| 2022 | 34% |
Conclusion: 34% of Virginia Western’s Fall 2022 cohort graduated within the IPEDS defined 150% normal graduation time. This meets the threshold of acceptability of 34%.
3a. Overall Cohort Graduation Rate by Gender
Goal/Target^: 36% of men and women will graduate within 150% time.
Threshold of Acceptability: 33% of men and women will graduate within 150% time.
Source: IPEDS
Frequency of Assessment: Annually
| Fall Cohort | Overall Graduation Rate | Men Graduation Rate | Women Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 33% | 28% | 37% |
| 2019 | 33% | 34% | 32% |
| 2020 | 41% | 40% | 41% |
| 2021 | 40% | 40% | 40% |
| 2022 | 34% | 36% | 32% |
^ Goals for 3a and 3b are based on 5-year averages; threshold of acceptability is 3% below the 5-year average
Conclusion: 36% men and 32% of women in Virginia Western’s Fall 2022 cohort graduated within the IPEDS defined 150% normal graduation time. The threshold of acceptability was met for men. However, the threshold of acceptability was not met for women.
3b. Overall Cohort Graduation Rate by Financial Aid Status
Goal/Target^: 30% of students that receive a Pell Grant will graduate within 150% time; 33% of students with a Stafford Loan (no Pell) will graduate within 150% time; and 43% of students that don’t have Pell grants or Stafford loans will graduate within 150% time.
Threshold of Acceptability: 27% of students that receive a Pell Grant will graduate within 150% time; 30% of students with a Stafford Loan (no Pell) will graduate within 150% time; and 40% of students that don’t have Pell grants or Stafford loans will graduate within 150% time.
Source: IPEDS
Frequency of Assessment: Annually
^ Goals for 3a and 3b are based on 5-year averages; threshold of acceptability is 3% below the 5-year average
| Fall Cohort | Overall Graduation Rate | Pell-Grant Recipient Graduation Rate | Stafford Loan, No Pell Grant Graduation Rate | No Pell Grant or Stafford Loan Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 33% | 27% | 26% | 41% |
| 2019 | 33% | 29% | 32% | 38% |
| 2020 | 41% | 34% | 41% | 47% |
| 2021 | 40% | 33% | 35% | 48% |
| 2022 | 34% | 26% | 31% | 41% |
Conclusion: Students from the Fall 2022 cohort that receive Stafford loans but no Pell grants and students that have neither Pell grants or Stafford loans are meeting their respective threshold of acceptability for graduation within 150% time. Students that received Pell grants are not meeting the threshold of acceptability for this group.
Updated: July 8, 2026
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