Hillsdale College Seniors Score in 99th Percentile on Proficiency Profile standardized test

HILLSDALE, Mich., June 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsdale College today announced that 98 percent of graduating seniors in the class of 2016 who took the Educational Testing Service's (ETS) new Proficiency Profile standardized test scored in the 99th percentile. The Proficiency Profile is akin to a college-level SAT. Hillsdale's high percentile is in comparison to average scores from 294 institutions nationwide. 

"The Proficiency Profile provides a benchmark to measure our students' outcomes against the outcomes of their colleagues at other institutions," said Mark Maier, assistant to the provost. "These results speak volumes about the effectiveness of the classical liberal arts education students receive at Hillsdale College."

By testing students in areas such as critical thinking, mathematics, and sciences, the Proficiency Profile helps the college assess its educational initiatives and student performance.

"We chose the Pro­fi­ciency Profile because it's one of the tests with the most visibility and participants," said George Allen, director of institutional research. "As the producer of the GRE graduate school entry exam, Educational Testing Service is one of the most widely recognized legitimizing bodies in the country."

The Hillsdale students who took the test had an average GPA of 3.4, similar to the class average, and represented a broad-cross section of majors.

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College, founded in 1844, has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an extensive educational outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 3.4 million.

SOURCE Hillsdale College