Tabor touts increased GPA of freshmen
Staff writer
Tabor College’s freshman class arrived in Hillsboro with the highest combined grade-point average — 3.43 — of any incoming class since 2007.
The previous high GPA was 3.35.
The increase may be attributable to Tabor’s attempts to increase admission standands.
However, it also comes amid so-called “grade inflation” concerns among academic institutions.
High school GPAs continue to rise nationwide, in part due to extra points awarded for advanced placement classes and international baccalaureate programs. COVID-19 also may have had an impact, experts say.
Some studies have questioned whether higher GPAs reflect increased mastery of subject material.
Starting this academic year, incoming freshmen at Tabor must have a 2.75 GPA or a 20 composite ACT score or 1,020 SAT score. Tabor raised the GPA requirement for transfer students from 2.0 to 2.5.
The University of Kansas and Kansas State University — obviously much larger— require a 3.25 GPA or an ACT score of at least 21 or an SAT score of at least 1,060.
First-year students at Sterling College, a college of similar size to Tabor, must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75.
Tabor’s enrollment for this fall sits at 637, including 505 on-campus undergraduate students.