That is very interesting and significant about the Junior year retention rates. That data is not easily accessible to the general public as so much attention is focused on Freshman retention rates. I would like to hear more about this as well. Still, my daughters are very interested but I feel such great discomfort.
If you google:
high point university retention rate
you will find a large number of sources with actual data that can help inform your decision. I would tend to trust this published public data over an anonymous person online quoting an anonymous source. As an accredited school, High Point University provides this info.
HPU Graduation rates: 63% graduate, 32% transfer, 5% drop out.
Roughtly similar to schools like ECU, Seton Hall, Virginia Commonwealth, Texas Tech. The average graduation rate among US universities is 58%.
LaBreaTarheel:
The numbers in question come from the continuing disclosure that the school is required to file by the SEC for the bonds that it has issued.
See the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board web site:
Search for High Point University, select the bonds issued in 2012 and click the tab for Continuing Disclosure.
You will also find the schoolâs financial statements.
If you donât find things, I can supply a direct linkâŠjust in the midst of some other things at the moment.
You can also find loads of data at the Department of Educationâs IPEDS Data Center.
Yes , MSRB is where the information came from that I saw. I will try to paste the link here but not sure it will work, if not follow the steps given by CSB123.
https://emma.msrb.org/ER1262542-ER986111-ER1388239.pdf
Highly doubt it explains the drop of 480 students, but a possible partial explanation might be that students going in with significant AP credits are graduating after 3 years of study.
2 Likes
I was thinking also there might be a problem of money, they have a small endowment so they donât offer a lot of financial aid. Maybe some families canât make it through 4 years.
kmomof2âŠAs you mentioned previously, there is a pattern to this. Going back through the classes, you find three things: 1) a drop-off in enrollment after the freshman yearâŠthat, of course, is expected 2) similar enrollment in the sophomore and junior years, but always a slight uptick in the junior year and 3) a significant dropoff from the junior to senior years.
I am not sure HPUâs operating model will be sustainable following the Covid crisis. They went heavily in debt to create the âwowâ campus, which is used to attract visitors and hopefully convert them into applicants who enroll⊠There are high fees for room and board, to cover the debt payments.
There is not much margin of error here, and we can already see the strain from Covid. Students who were sent home last spring got some room and board refunds. HPU ended fiscal 2020 (May 31) with less operating revenue and less cash on hand than 2019. Because of Covid restrictions on campus visits and other events like Presidents Weekend there will surely be less applicants for Sept. 2021 and the freshman class may be smaller than usual.
Because of the Covid crisis HPU has just gotten a line of credit up to $50 million. It is not the only school having to borrow in these circumstances, but if it has to draw down tens of millions, how can it repay? There is already $128 million in long-term debt. The endowment is only $78 million.
Picaluna are you sure about the number of applicants going down? According to the HPU website there is a record number of applicants for 2021. However I agree the overall financial situation looks worrisome.
Hi there. My son is interested in studying theatre at HPU. He has spoken with the theatre department and was excited to hear the direction they are going in. Granted he was pulled in by all the school has to offer but then talking with the department head and seeing that Josh Groban has been an artist in residence, made him consider them even more.
Did your son end up choosing HPU? If so, how was his first semester?
I know they have been open during COVID and encouraging tours. We can not participate due to the restrictions in our state and what would be required. My son does not want to be away from school that long during his senior year.
1 Like
My son did choose HPU. Very happy there.
As with all universities, the pandemic has had a significant effect. The university takes it seriously, and so some activities such as the freshman seminar with Dr. Qubein is virtual, which is of course a disappointment. Students who have to be quarantined due to an exposure are put up in a local hotel and brought meals. As at all universities, the pandemic mitigates the social side of college.
That said, he has been very happy with his professors, classes, and the efforts by the university to preserve the college experience in the face of the pandemicâs challenges.
3 Likes
I think they have an A rating from S&P. That would signal strong financials.
1 Like
ektcct, they currently have an A minus rating from S&P which is good, although I donât know how recently they updated. S&P has been warning that most private colleges except for the top tier, are at high risk of downgrade.
HPU is financially stable and well runâŠlike a good business. If your child is happy and graduates, theyâll be employed. Ignore those on this board that claim HPU students are overlooked in the job selection process. When an HPU graduate sits down for an interview they are well dressed, well spoken and well prepared.
2 Likes
Thank you for this information about HPUâs financial situation and student outcomes. Just curious where you are getting your information, do you work there? I live in NC and HPUâs reputation locally is not the greatest, but interested to learn more about what you know.
2 Likes
I have no connection to the school, just sharing my experience. I lived in NC for 3 years and recruited for BOA across the mid south. HPU students were always among the best prepared undergrads. Duke students were the most in demand. Clemson students were the most upbeat. NCâs state schools are not well regarded. Sports reputations aside, the students were not impressive.
I was not familiar with HPU when I arrived, but among our recruitment team it was well regarded. I had the opportunity to attend several business development conferences on the HPU campus and was impressed by just about everything, and outside of Alabama, was the nicest campus I visited.
I am aware that the tuition is rather high and many of their students have the benefits of means, but after meeting and interviewing 1000âs of grads, itâs not an accident when the students from certain schools are consistently offered employment.
6 Likes
Thanks, that is a very interesting (and to me surprising!) perspective. If you have insights on HPUâs financial situation would be interested in that also.
Wow, count me in the confused group after reading this thread. We just got back from Presidentâs weekend and I admit, you definitely get that tingly feeling that something is amiss at times. I chalked it up to the obvious difference between most schools being run by academics, and this one being run by a business person who understands sales and marketing (which is not necessarily a negative). While I understand there are enough college lists for literally every school to have a nice ranking on one list or another, it is hard to believe that HPU could be #1 on US News & World Report for 9 years running or whatever it is and truly have terrible academics.
My daughter is a very strong student but she/we feel a smaller liberal arts school is a better fit for her. She did notice there that none of the students she interacted with seemed the least bit stressed out, despite some having a major and a double minor and numerous extracurricular activities. But I would also say that honestly, academic rigor is somewhat overrated. Certainly important if you want to be a doctor or for numerous other âspecialties,â but for many kids it really doesnât make a big difference. So much of the value of college is driven by the experiences (maturity and growing into a young adult), the relationships formed, and being able to list that degree on your resume. And I wholeheartedly agree that most schools (and society as a whole) do a poor job of preparing kids for life. I love the life skills element of HPU. But looking at the cars in the parking lots and the idea of wearing heels to class, etcâŠnot thrilled with those aspects. I feel so conflicted.
5 Likes
Was the wearing heels to class a real thing? I need to know!