Metric Three

Metric 3: Degrees Conferred 

South Georgia State College (SGSC) reached its peak in degrees conferred in FY 2021 with 452 total degrees, demonstrating resilience during the initial phase of the coronavirus pandemic. However, beginning in FY 2022, total degree completions declined to 365, followed by a further decrease to 339 in FY 2023, before showing signs of recovery with 352 degrees in FY 2024. This decline can be attributed to various pandemic-related challenges that affected students' ability to complete their degrees on time, including changes to financial aid, increased family caregiving responsibilities, and the need to seek employment to support their families during the ongoing economic disruption.

Analysis and Evaluation of Metric 3

SGSC has experienced significant shifts in its degree completion patterns from FY 2020 to FY 2024. While total degree completions declined from the peak of 452 in FY 2021 to 352 in FY 2024, the composition of degrees awarded reveals important trends: Traditional associate degrees have seen the most substantial change, declining from 302 in FY 2020 to 182 in FY 2023, with a slight recovery to 200 in FY 2024. Career associate degrees showed growth from 42 in FY 2020 to a peak of 71 in FY 2023 before decreasing to 50 in FY 2024. Most notably, bachelor's degree completions have demonstrated consistent growth, rising from 69 in FY 2020 to 102 in FY 2024, marking a 48% increase over this period. This steady increase in bachelor's degree completions, even during challenging times, suggests a successful transition toward higher-level degree offerings. It reflects SGSC's commitment to expanding educational opportunities for its students.