College Scorecards
College Scorecards, part of the College Accountability Framework, evaluates the performance of individual colleges and USF using 11 metrics linked to annual goals. This tool offers a clear view for accountability and improvement, measuring metrics over academic, calendar, and fiscal year.
There are six tabs:
2025-2026 College Scorecard: Performance of individual colleges over 11 metrics for the current academic year.
2025-2026 USF Scorecard: Combined data for all colleges for the current academic year.
2024-2025 College Scorecard: Performance of individual colleges over 11 metrics for the previous academic year.
2024-2025 USF Scorecard: Combined data for all colleges for the previous academic year.
2023-2024 College Scorecard: Performance of individual colleges over 11 metrics for the 2023-2024 academic year (historic college scorecard).
2023-2024 USF Scorecard: Combined data for all colleges for the 2023-2024 academic year (historic USF scorecard).
Metrics in progress are displayed in green, while finalized metrics are shown in blue.
Refresh Schedule:
Individual scorecards are updated at different intervals and display the latest available data for that metric. The individual metrics refresh schedule is mentioned below.
Metric Finalization Schedule:
Academic Year Metrics:
FTIC Retention Rate and Academic Progress Rate metrics: These two metrics are finalized in late January of the following year. For example, data for the 2025-2026 cohort year will be finalized in January 2026, once the final fall 2025 benchmark data is available.
FTIC and Transfer Graduation metrics: All five graduation metrics are finalized in early October of the ending cohort year. For example, data for the 4 Year Graduation metrics for 2022-2026 cohort year will be finalized in October 2026, once the summer 2026 degrees are available.
Calendar Year Metric:
Faculty Award metric: This metric is finalized by early February of the following year. For example, data for the 2025 calendar year will be finalized by February 2026.
Fiscal Year Metrics:
Sponsored Research Total Expenditures, Sponsored Research Total Expenditures Tenure Track FTE, Total Fundraising metrics: All three metrics are finalized in early August. For example, fiscal year 2026 will end in June 2026 and the finalized data be available in August 2026.
Data Sources:
The data utilized in generating the College Scorecards is sourced from multiple repositories:
Goals: College Goals are provided by college leadership during annual goal setting process in July August timeframe. Fundraising Goals for colleges is provided by Advancement/USF Foundation. USF goals are from BOG proposed (or approved) USF accountability plan
FTIC and Transfer metrics: Cohorts and benchmarked data from SID
Research Data: From ORI (Operational Research and Innovation) Research Reporting Database
Faculty Data: From Faculty database
Fundraising Data: From USF Foundation
Metrics
Metric Refresh Schedule: 
Retention Metrics:
FTIC Freshmen Retention Rate Full Time
Academic Progress Rate Full Time (APR)
These are Academic Year Metrics (Fall, Spring, Summer).
Note:
The initial setting of the dial is calibrated to 100% at the beginning of the academic year and stays at 100% during the first fall semester. As the academic year progresses and we approach the spring semester, the displayed rate starts reflecting the true retention rate for the semester and might show a number lower than 100%. The dial updates represent the progress toward our retention rate goal. This metric gets finalized during the second fall semester.
Ex: For cohort year 2025-2026, for the entire duration of Fall 2025, the dial will be at 100%. For Spring 2026, it will start reflecting the true Fall to Spring retention rate (% of the students who started in Fall 2025 and were retained in Spring 2026). For summer 2026 semester, it will show the true Fall to Summer retention rate (% of the students who started in Fall 2025 and were retained in Summer 2026). Finally for Fall 2026, it will show the % of the students who started in Fall 2025 and retained in Fall 2026. This metric will have its final data for cohort year 2025-2026 in January 2026 when the Fall 2025 Final bench data is available.
Refresh Schedule:
Retention Rate metrics are refreshed four times in the academic year.
Data is refreshed in the Fall semester at the Enrollment Preliminary benchmark to establish the initial cohort.
Fall Final Enrollment benchmark refresh date is staggered to include cohort adjustments submitted with Retention file at the end of Jan.
Term | Event | Refresh Timeframe | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Fall (1st Fall) | Enrollment Preliminary Bench | Late Oct | This establishes the initial cohort. Progress to Goal dial is set at 100% for the first Fall term of the current cohort. For 2024-2025 Cohort - Oct. 2025 will show the Fall Retention % for 2024 Cohort. |
Fall (1st Fall) | Enrollment Final Bench, | Late Jan | Refresh reflects any cohort adjustments. For 2025-2026 Cohort - Jan. 2026 for making cohort adjustments. Progress to Goal dial is set at 100% in the first Fall term of the current cohort. . For 2024-2025 Cohort - The Fall to Fall Retention data is finalized in Jan. 2026 |
Spring | Enrollment Preliminary Bench | Late Feb | Progress to Goal displays the % of students for the current Fall cohort retained in the Spring term. (For APR with >=2.0 GPA at the beginning of the Spring term) For 2025-2026 Cohort - Feb. 2026 reflects the % retained in Spring 2026 from Fall 2025 cohort. Before this event, the dial will be showing 100% reflecting the First Fall semester for the current Fall cohort. |
Summer | Enrollment Preliminary Bench | Early Jul | Progress to Goal displays the % of students from the original Fall cohort retained in the Summer term. (For APR with >=2.0 GPA at the beginning of the Summer term) For 2025-2026 Cohort - Jul. 2026 reflects the % retained in Summer 2026 from Fall 2025 cohort. Before this event, the dial will be showing Fall to Spring % for the current Fall cohort. |
Fall (2nd Fall) | Enrollment Drop/Add Bench | Early Sep | Progress to Goal displays the % of students from the original cohort retained in the 2nd Fall (@Drop/Add bench) (For APR with >=2.0 GPA at the beginning of the 2nd Fall term) For 2025-2026 Cohort - Sep. 2026 reflects the % retained in Fall 2026 from Fall 2025 cohort. This is true retention rate. |
Graduation Rate Metrics:
FTIC 4 Yr Graduation Rate Full Time
FTIC Pell 4 Yr Graduation Rate Full Time
FTIC 6 Yr Graduation Rate Full Time & Part Time
FTIC Pell 6 Yr Graduation Rate Full Time & Part Time
FCS AA Transfer 3 Yr Grad Rate Full Time & Part Time
All 5 Graduation rate metrics are Academic Year Metrics (Fall, Spring, Summer).
Refresh Schedule:
Graduation Rate metrics are refreshed thrice in the academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer), at the end of each semester when Degrees are reported to the BOG.
The Fall Degree benchmark refresh date is staggered to include cohort adjustments submitted with the Retention file at the end of Jan.
Term | Event | Refresh Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Fall Degrees, Retention File (Cohort Adjustments) | Late Jan | This refresh includes Fall Degrees as well as any cohort adjustments submitted on the Retention File For 6-year Graduation metrics for 2020-2026 Cohort - Jan. 2026 will reflect Fall 2025 degrees. |
Spring | Spring Degrees | Early Jul | For 6-year Graduation metrics for 2020-2026 Cohort - Jul. 2026 will reflect Spring 2026 degrees. |
Summer | Degrees | Late Sep | For 6-year Graduation metrics for 2020-2026 Cohort - Sep. 2026 will reflect Summer 2026 degrees and the metric will be finalized. |
Faculty Awards
This is Calendar Year Metrics.
Refresh Schedule:
The Faculty Awards metric is refreshed three times per Calendar Year, in Jan, Jun and Oct.
Term | Benchmark | Refresh Date |
|---|---|---|
Fall | Final | Mid Jan |
Spring | Final | Early Jun |
Summer | Final | Late Sep |
This metric is finalized in late January of the following year. For example, data for the 2025 calendar year will be finalized in January 2026.
Sponsored Research Total Expenditures
10. Sponsored Research Total Expenditures Per Tenure Track FTE
Total Fundraising
All three are Fiscal Year Metrics.
The two Research metrics are updated nightly. These two metrics are finalized in late July. For example, fiscal year 2026 will end in June 2026 and the finalized data be available in July 2026.
Total Fundraising metric is updated monthly (twelve times per Fiscal Year). Data is refreshed by the 14th of every month, except in July. The data for June (which is July Update) is delayed due to Fiscal Year end close.
Additional Resources