STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Columbia State Community College has a mission of nurturing success and positively changing lives through teaching, learning, and service. To this end the college recognizes student success as the cause for the college.
One measure of student achievement is the general education exit exam taken by all Columbia State Community College graduates. Columbia State uses the ETS Proficiency Profile (Abbreviated) Exam for general education testing. The standard set by the General Education Committee is to meet or exceed the mean score by comparable level of students at 2 year institutions.
Graduate Exit Exam
| Area | Mean | 2020.2021 | 2021.2022 | 2022.2023 |
2023.2024 |
2024.2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Proficiency | 116.102 | 116.21 | 116.08 | 116.48 | 115.1 | 116.64 |
| Writing Proficiency | 113.17 | 113.64 | 113.66 | 113.21 | 112.4 | 112.94 |
| Critical Thinking Proficiency |
110.108 |
110.23 | 109.51 | 109.76 | 109.8 | 111.24 |
| Mathematics Proficiency | 111.596 | 111.81 | 111.45 | 111.34 | 111.8 | 111.58 |
| Humanities | 114.36 | 114.37 | 114.12 | 114.45 | 113.8 | 115.06 |
| Social Sciences | 112.434 | 112.76 | 112.04 | 112.15 | 111.8 | 113.42 |
| Natural Sciences | 113.89 | 113.86 | 113.75 | 114.06 | 113.4 | 114.38 |
| Total | 437.654 | 438.55 | 437.38 | 437.23 | 436.1 | 439.01 |
Job Placement*
Columbia State reports job placement rates for all AAS and Technical Certificate completers annually (by calendar year.)
| Associate of Applied Science | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Systems Technology | 100% | 78% | 86% | 40% | 88% |
| Information Systems Technology | 78% | 64% | 77% | 53% | 59% |
| Business | 15% | 44% | 100% | 18% | 52% |
| General Technology | 100% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 100% |
| Criminal Justice | 50% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 44% |
| Medical Informatics | 0% | 50% | 60% | 40% | 17% |
| Medical Lab Technology | 100% | 92% | 94% | 91% | 100% |
| Veterinary Technology | 53% | 60% | 100% | 94% | 100% |
| Radiologic Technology | 100% | 86% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Respiratory Care | 94% | 100% | 100% | 93% | 100% |
| Nursing | 100% | 93% | 24% | 94% | 100% |
| Technical Certificates | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Systems Technology | 100% | 50% | 100% | 60% | 0% |
| Film Crew Technology | 83% | 100% | 100% | 0% | 70% |
| Emergency Medical Technician | 93% | 69% | 100% | 81% | 100% |
| Technical Certificates | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Emergency Medical Technician | 100% | 93% | 77 | 90% | 92% |
| Early Childhood Education | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Hospitality and Tourism Management | 67% | 30% | 100% | 0% | 75% |
| Commercial Entertainment | 80% | 50% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Paramedic | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Business Management | 0% | N/A | 100% | 33% | 47% |
| Web Design and Mobile Technologies | N/A | 0% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Web Technology (TNeCampus) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Placement percentages are based on definitions set by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) Sited Source: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/thec/bureau/aa/academic-programs/qaf/PF_2010-15_Guidebook_Mar_17_2011.pdf (page 22). Overall placement rate is based on the total number of placeable students employed with their respective fields of students.
**Beginning with the 2015-2016 fiscal year, THEC measures placement based on the number of graduates in the Tennessee Labor Department System/Total Graduates. Of the 2020-2021 Academic Year graduates 71% were employed in Tennessee during the 2021-2022 for at least three quarters of the fiscal year.
Licensure Rates
Columbia State Community College reports licensure rates of all Allied Health AAS graduates annually.
| Licensure Pass Rates | Goal | 2020.21 | 2021.22 | 2022.23 | 2023.24 | 2024.25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anesthesia Technology* | 69% | 65% | 0% | 100% | N/A | N/A |
| Medical Laboratory Technology** | 77% | 75% | 73% | 100% | 78% | 100.0% |
| Nursing | 93% | 99% | 96% | 92% | 85% | 98% |
| Veterinary Technology | 80% | 86% | 47% | 88% | 81% | 62% |
| Radiologic Technology | 96% | 93% | 86% | 81% | 95% | 96% |
| Respiratory Care | 70% | 93% | 79% | 94% | 100% | 97% |
*Program did not restart and until 2018, and the first graduates were in 2019.2020
Degrees Earned
Columbia State Community College seeks to increase the number of graduates and certificate completers annually as part of TBR and Governor Haslam's Drive to 55 initiative.
| Degree Type | 2020.21 | 2021.22 | 2022.23 | 2023.24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA/AS/AST/AFA | 663 | 683 | 589 | 615 | |
| AAS | 249 | 252 | 253 | 273 | |
| Total Degrees Earned | 912 | 935 | 842 | 888 | |
| Technical Certificates | 129 | 166 | 123 | 152 |
Athletic Completion Rates:
Columbia State Community College athletics seeks to graduate quality student-athletes.
| Sport | 2020.21 | 2021.22 | 2022.23 | 2023.24 | 2024.25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Softball | 75% | 80% | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Baseball | 100% | 95% | 71% | 69% | 95% |
| Women's Basketball | 25% | 57% | 100% | 100% | 66% |
| Men's Basketball | 29% | 75% | 67% | 100% | 50% |
| Women's Soccer | 91% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
3-year Graduation Rates by Aid:
Columbia State Community College seeks to reduce the gap between students of varying income levels to 5% or less.
| Aid Status | 2018.19 | 2019.20 | 2020.21 | 2021.22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No PELL | 28% | 34% | 35% | 35% | |
| PELL Recipient | 18% | 26% | 30% | 29% |