Kaplan University Publishes Seventh Annual Academic Report

Today, Kaplan University (KU) issued its seventh annual Academic Report: The Year in Review 2015-2016, detailing the University’s work, progress and achievements throughout the academic year beginning July 1, 2015 and ending June 30, 2016.

The 55-page report provides an overview of KU and includes details around key metrics such as learning, graduation and employment outcomes as well as important updates on accreditation and program approvals. The report also profiles Kaplan University schools and programs, and includes survey results from KU’s student and alumni.

“Kaplan University made significant strides on a number of important fronts throughout the academic year. Our regional accreditation was reaffirmed by the Higher Learning Commission through the 2025-2026 academic year which speaks well to the quality of our educational offerings and overall operations that put students first,” said Dr. David Starnes, Kaplan University Chief Academic Officer.

The report also notes the steps forward KU took in the academic year with competency-based education. In addition to receiving their academic transcripts, all KU students receive a personalized competency report that summarizes their cumulative progress toward mastering competencies employers identify as essential to workplace performance and success. The University also received approvals to begin offering bachelor’s degree level, competency-based educational programs.

Dr. Betty Vandenbosch, Kaplan University President, said, “Documenting and sharing our achievements in the Academic Report each year is not only a gratifying look back at the past year for Kaplan University, it also provides important insights to our current student body and future students. While much progress has been made, our important work helping adult learners finish what they started continues.”

Key Report highlights from the 2015-2016 academic include:

• Kaplan University conferred 12,742 degrees.
• Nearly three-in-four (74%) of Kaplan University students were female with six-in-ten (60 %) over the age of 30, similar to prior years.
• While more than four-in-five (84%) KU students had some postsecondary education prior to enrolling at KU, more than half (55%) came from backgrounds where neither parent attended college.
• More than 16,000 students (16,147) were awarded $34.5 million in scholarships and grants.
• Under KU’s credit transfer program, 13,788 students received a total of 783,469 transfer credits, representing a total student’s savings of more than $256 million in the academic year.
• Since 2008, the University has been surveying final-term students to gauge their KU experience. In 2015-2016, more than nine-in-ten (91%) believe what they learned at KU will help them reach their personal and career goals. Additional results from the survey are included in the Report starting on page 29.
• Focused on offering the most current and relevant courses and programs designed to meet the needs of employers, under its systemic review process based on rigorous data analysis, 57 courses were developed and 607 courses were revised.
• Acknowledged as a military-friendly school by multiple sources including Military Advanced Education & Transition, Kaplan University is the academic choice of more than 8,700 military-related students including active U.S. military, veterans and military spouses.
• The University annually invests in institutional research through its Research Pipeline to improve student learning and performance. Some of the most exciting work has come from research on increasing students’ motivation to succeed and persist. This is described on page 24 of the Report.

A pdf of the Report can be downloaded here.

About Kaplan University

Kaplan University offers a different school of thought for higher education. It strives to help adult students unlock their talent by providing a practical, student-centered education that prepares them for careers in some of the fastest-growing industries. The University, which has its main campus in Davenport, Iowa, and its headquarters in Chicago, is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. Kaplan University serves approximately 34,000 online and campus-based students. The University has campuses in Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, Maryland, Maine, and Wisconsin, and Kaplan University Learning Centers in Missouri and Maryland.

Kaplan University is part of Kaplan Higher Education LLC and Kaplan, Inc., which serves over 1.2 million students globally each year through its array of higher education, test preparation, professional education, English-language training, university preparation, and K-12 offerings to individuals, institutions, and businesses. Kaplan has operations in over 30 countries, employs more than 19,000 full- and part-time professionals, and maintains relationships and partnerships with more than 1,000 school districts, colleges, and universities, and over 2,600 corporations and businesses. Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) and its largest division. For more information, please visit www.Kaplan.com.

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