Our commitment is to the success of our students. LU faculty and staff work together to provide them with an effective learning environment. They serve as mentors and role models seeking to challenge and inspire. Below we share our measures of student success at Living University.
Course Satisfaction Survey
Each semester students are asked to evaluate the instruction they received in their courses in a non-personally identifiable manner to acquire data with respect to student satisfaction and identify areas needing improvement. Student satisfaction data for the two previous academic years are as set forth in the table below.
Student Survey Results | ||||||
Question (Students compete this survey at the end of the semester) |
% Answering “Yes” |
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Fall 2013 |
Spring 2014 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Spring 2016 | |
1. Did you achieve, or will you have achieved upon completing your studies, the goals you had when you started this course or program? | 87% | 91% | 94% | 93% | 88% | 88% |
2. Would you recommend these studies to a friend? | 97% | 100% | 99% | 98% | 97% | 100% |
3. All things considered, were you satisfied with your studies with us? | 98% | 99% | 100% | 98% | 99% | 99% |
Completion, Retention and Graduation Rates
The University seeks to encourage student success and mastery and to retain its students. It emphasizes course and degree program completion. The data are set forth on the charts below.
Course Completion Rates | |||||
Academic Year |
Total Annual |
Number Withdrawing |
% Annual Student Withdrawals | Number Completing |
Completion Rate |
2015-2016 | 204 | 14 | 6.9% | 190 | 93.1% |
2014-2015 | 220 | 15 | 6.8% | 205 | 93.2% |
2013-2014 | 221 | 11 | 5.0% | 210 | 95.0% |
2012-2013 | 264 | 27 | 10.2% | 237 | 89.8% |
2011-2012 | 266 | 22 | 8.3% | 244 | 91.7% |
2010-2011 | 185 | 8 | 4.3% | 177 | 95.7% |
2009-2010 | 150 | 12 | 8.0% | 138 | 92.0% |
2008-2009 | 137 | 2 | 1.5% | 135 | 98.5% |
Average | 206 | 14 | 5.75% | 192 | 93.6% |
For the last seven academic years the University has maintained a student course completion rate average of 93.3% with a course attrition rate of 6.7%.Course completion rates show how many students were able to complete a course and pass all required assignments and assessments.
Degree Completion and Retention Rates for the Associate of Theology Degree |
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Entrance Year | Number Entering | % Graduating within two years | % Graduating within four years | % Graduating within seven years | % Retention (Graduated or Still Enrolled) |
2007-08 | 1 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
2008-09 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
2009-10 | 2 | 50% | 0% | 50% | 100% |
2010-11 | 7 | 29% | 57% | 0% | 86% |
2011-12 | 2 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
2012-13 | 2 | 50% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
2013-14 | 8 | 25% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
2014-15 | 5 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
2015-16 | 2 | 50% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
Degee completion rates for the Associate of Theology are set forth above by the year students entered the degree program. This is a two-year program on a full-time basis and a four-year program on a part-time basis.
Degree Completion and Retention Rates for the Bachelor of Theology Degree |
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Entrance Year | Number Entering | % Graduating within two years | % Graduating within four years | % Graduating within seven years | % Retention (Graduated or Still Enrolled) |
2007-08 | 3 | 0% | 33% | 33% | 33% |
2008-09 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
2009-10 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
2010-11 | 5 | 40% | 60% | 0% | 100% |
2011-12 | 2 | 0% | 50% | 0% | 50% |
2012-13 | 9 | 0% | 44% | 0% | 67% |
2013-14 | 5 | 40% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
2014-15 | 6 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
2015-16 | 5 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
Degee completion rates for the Bachelor of Theology degree are set forth above by the year students entered the degree program. This is a four-year program on a full-time basis and a six-year program on a part-time basis.
Academic Achievement
ETS Proficiency Profile
Students graduating from the A.Th. and B.Th. degree programs must complete the ETS Proficiency Profile test. The results are set forth below:
Proficiency Levels of Graduates | |||
Proficiency Level 1 | Proficiency Level 2 | Proficiency Level 3 | |
Reading and Critical Thinking |
57.1% Proficient 42.9% Marginal 0.0% Not Proficient |
57.1% Proficient 0.0% Marginal 42.9% Not Proficient |
14.3% Proficient 28.6% Marginal 57.1% Not Proficient |
Writing | 57.1% Proficient 28.6% Marginal 14.3% Not Proficient |
28.6% Proficient 26.6% Marginal 42.9% Not Proficient |
14.3% Proficient 42.9% Marginal 42.9% Not Proficient |
Mathematics | 57.1% Proficient 14.3% Marginal 28.6% Not Proficient |
42.9% Proficient 14.3% Marginal 42.9% Not proficient |
28.6% Proficient 14.3% Marginal 57.1% Not proficient |
The skills measured by the ETS Proficiency Profile test are grouped into three skill areas: reading and critical thinking; writing and mathematics. Within each of these three skill areas, the specific skills tested are grouped into three proficiency levels.
The specific competencies measured by the ETS Proficiency Profile test are grouped into proficiency levels in such a way that most students who are proficient at the higher-level skills will also be proficient at the lower-level skills in the same area. The data reported are the achievement results our degree candidates for 2015-2016 academic year.
Theology Competency Assessment
Candidates for the A.Th. and B.Th. degree programs complete a comprehensive exit exam to demonstrate the degree to which they have mastered the theological content and skill sets of their degree programs. The exit exams cover the student learning objectives of the Biblical Foundations Core Requirement reflecting basic academic knowledge of the Bible’s content and doctrines, as well as the formal objectives of the student’s theology degree major. Please refer to the current edition of the University General Catalog for more information about core and major learning objectives.
The composite data for the 2015/16 academic year are reported in the chart below. The University views a score of 80% as proficient, 60% as marginal and 50% as not proficient. The exit exams are institution-developed tests which are not norm-referenced at this time. The Theology Assessment Results are reported in the chart below.
Employment of Graduates
Through its B.Th. and A.Th. degree programs the University seeks to impart to its students the theological base for leadership, teaching and ministry within a local church, particularly related to volunteer, bi-vocational, or career service. The employment rate (often referred to the job placement rate) reports the number of students who find work immediately after graduation. Presently, the timeframe for recording and reporting these data at Living University is immediately upon graduation of a student.
Employment Rates of B.Th. Degree Recipients | ||||||
Academic Year | Number Graduating |
Employed Upon Graduation |
% | Employed in a Church-Related Occupation |
% | Accepted to Graduate School* |
2015-2016 | 2 | 1 | 50% | 1 | % | — |
2014-2015 | 6 | 5 | 83% | 5 | 83% | — |
2013-2014 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
2012-2013 | 1 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 100% | — |
2011-2012 | 1 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 100% | — |
2010-2011 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
Totals | 10 | 8 | 80% | 8 | 80% | — |
* As of the date of graduation none indicated they intended to pursue an advanced degree as of that time.