With Above-average Graduation Rate, High-achieving Freshman Class, Color MSU Successful

A study by several prominent national education associations finds that Montclair State University’s "strong leadership" and its "campus culture that values student success" have resulted in higher-than-predicted graduation rates.

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities, working with the National Association of System Heads and the Education Trust, identified aspects of  strong leadership and a positive campus culture at Montclair State that resulted in its inclusion among a dozen institutions nationwide reporting higher-than-predicted graduation rates or higher-than-predicted improvement in graduation rates.

AASCU noted that this positive campus culture "sets these campuses apart, and well above average. The culture reinforces the belief that the students can and should succeed."

AASCU study teams visited colleges and universities nationwide in preparing the study. Montclair State was among its visits. The summary of the "Graduation Rates Outcomes Study Campus Visit to Montclair State" states that "MSU has demonstrated marked improvement in its six-year graduation rates, from 49.9 percent in 1997 to 55.8 percent in 2003 (currently reported in 2004 at 56.7)."

The Graduation Rate Outcomes Project was designed to determine why certain institutions were successful and to use this information to help other campus leaders achieve higher performance. The study, conducted by teams representing more than 90 colleges and universities, offers strategies for how colleges and universities can improve student success.

AASCU is a higher education association whose membership is comprised of more than 430 colleges, universities and systems of public higher education throughout the United States and its territories.

And the past is simply prologue, if the quality of MSU's freshman class is an indicator of things to come.

"Members of this year's freshman class were in the top 28 percent of their class," said Dennis Craig, director of Admissions. "We were especially pleased that the average SAT score of our freshmen applicants was 1,105, and the average SAT of those enrolled is 1,085," he said.

Craig also said that his year’s freshmen class "has the largest percentage of minority students--36 percent--in the University's history. Eleven percent are African-American, 7.6 percent are Asian and 18.77 percent are Hispanic."

Craig noted that Hispanic enrollment has traditionally been strong at MSU.

"Our large number of Hispanic students has led to our being named one of the 'Top 100' colleges and universities nationwide in terms of awarding bachelor's degree to Hispanic students, according to the Hispanic Outlook in Education magazine," he said. "We are extremely pleased that we have received this designation for nine consecutive years."

Craig said that applications for this year's class were at an all-time high of 8,900 and, of those, 1,907 enrolled at the University. According to Craig, the University, which already schedules more than 200 college fairs and open houses throughout the year, is working on several initiatives to improve service even further.