Devi Shastri

Appleton Post-Crescent

MADISON - A record number of students graduated from the University of Wisconsin System in 2017-18, including the highest-ever number of students of color, officials reported Wednesday.

The announcement comes at a time when most schools across the UW System are facing declining enrollment trends.

UW System President Ray Cross told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin that the numbers may not indicate current enrollment, but they do show that students are seeing more success once they're in school.

"This is an improvement in the number of students that graduate, even when our total overall enrollment is dropping," Cross said. "We're getting better at making sure that students are getting through the educational pipeline and getting into the talent pipeline."

According to the System's statement, 81 percent of the University of Wisconsin alumni live and work in Wisconsin five years after they've graduated.

The System merged its two year schools, in part, to respond to a 32 percent drop in the number of full-time equivalent students in two-year schools over the last 10 years.

The System's graduation rate shows a 13.4 percent increase in the number of graduates since the 2007-08 school year. The data also shows a record number of 27,600 bachelor's degrees and more than 860 doctoral degrees.

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Over the same 10-year period, the number of degrees obtained by students of color doubled, from 5.7 percent to 10.2 percent.

The 4,900-plus students of color represent 13.4 percent of System graduates. By comparison, recent population data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows 18.7 percent of Wisconsin's population identifies as a person or color, including those who are Hispanic/Latino and two or more races.

Cross said the schools each have goals aimed at retaining underrepresented students and improving students' six-year graduation rates.

"This, by no means, suggests we've (addressed the racial achievement gap) well, we're perfect at it and we don't have to do better," Cross said. "This just says, 'Hey, what you're doing is working. You need to do a better job of it.'"

The new data also shows degrees in science, technology, math and engineering and health fields made up two-fifth of bachelor's and graduate degrees.

“The UW System is helping meet the needs of employers in high-need employment areas, contributing to our communities and our economy,” said John Robert Behling, president of the System's Board of Regents.

The System attributed the increase in student degree completion to efforts on individual campuses, including access to undergraduate research and internship opportunities and proactive advising.

Advising is driven by efforts to track data on student progress on an individual level to make sure students who are struggling in school get support early, Cross said.