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About SCO

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Milestone Events

Take time to recognize these significant achievements.

Event Schedule
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Retention and Graduation Rates

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  • Retention and Graduation Rates

SCO monitors how each student progresses through its four-year professional program. As shown in our data, SCO has excellent retention and graduation rates that exceed our goals of 95% for both metrics.

 

Retention Rates*

The retention rate is the percentage of SCO’s first-time, first-year professional students who continue at SCO the next year. For example, a student who is full-time in the fall semester and stays in the program at the beginning of the next academic year is counted in this rate. The goal of SCO for retention is that 95% or more of all students who enter the program will return through year four.

Cohort
Entering 
# students  # Enrolled
in Y2 
# Enrolled
in Y3 
# Enrolled
in Y4 
2012  130  129  129  129 (99.2%) 
2013 131 130 128 128 (97.7%) 
2014 135 132 131 131 (97%)
2015 135 131 130 130 (96.3%)
2016 136 135 135 133 (97.8%)
2017 135 135 134 133 (97.8%)


*Retention numbers only include students who remain continuously enrolled with their cohorts. These students may graduate with a different cohort.

 

Graduation Rates

The graduation rate is the percentage of SCO’s first-time, first year professional students who complete their program within 150% of the published time for the program. Students enter the professional program at the Southern College of Optometry in cohorts and normally complete the program in four years. SCO has the goal that an average of 95% or more of all entering students will graduate in 6 years. As seen in the chart below, SCO has met its goals for the cohorts entering from 2009-2014 (green shading.) The cohort entering in 2015 has incomplete data (yellow shading.)
 

Year Initially Matriculated 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Graduated in 4 years 97.7% 96.9% 96.2% 94.8% 95.5% 95.6%
Graduated in 5 or more years 0.8% 0.8% 2.3% 2.2% 1.5% n/a
Graduated at any time 98.5% 97.7% 98.5% 97% 97% n/a
Attrition for academic reasons 0% 1.5% 0% 1.5% 0.7% 0.7%
Attrition for other reasons 1.5% 0.8% 1.5% 0.7% 1.5% 1.5%
Completed curricular requirements, but not graduation requirements 0% 0% 0% 0.7% 0.7% 1.5%
Still enrolled or on a leave of absence 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0.7%

 

Student/Graduate Achievement

  • Retention and Graduation Rates
  • NBEO Passage Rates
  • Career Placement and Residency Rates
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Southern College of Optometry

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Memphis, TN 38104

(901) 722-3200

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(901) 722-3250

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