CONWAY, Ark. (February 14, 2012) - A higher percentage of Hendrix College graduates complete science and math Ph.D. degrees than graduates from undergraduate institutions in Arkansas and the Associated Colleges of the South, the academic consortium to which Hendrix belongs, according to the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Baccalaureate Origins Doctoral Completion study.
The study compiles the percentage of Ph.D. completion per total bachelor's degrees awarded between 1995 and 2004. Hendrix ranks ahead of its state and consortium peers in doctoral degrees conferred in life science, physical science, and math and computer science.
"These statistics, compiled by an independent agency, illustrate dramatically the outcomes produced by a Hendrix education and highlight in particular our traditional strength in the sciences," said Dr. Robert L. Entzminger, Provost of the College.
Each year, NSF releases counts of Bachelor's Origins of Doctorate Recipients as part of its CASPAR database. These counts, or origins, are derived from the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), a questionnaire collected by six federal agencies. SED is required of all recipients of doctorates from accredited institutions of postsecondary education in the United States. The Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS) Consortium periodically produces a Baccalaureate Origins Report based on origins summarized in the NSF CASPAR database. The report summarizes origins counts by institution and discipline, proportions of origins weighted by bachelor's degrees awarded by the institution of origin, and ranks of both the origins counts (unweighted rank) and weighted proportions (weighted rank).
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. Hendrix was named the country's #1 "Up and Coming" liberal arts college for the third consecutive year by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the 2011 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country's best 376 colleges and is listed in the 2012 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of 25 "Best Buy" private colleges included. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.