Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Education IndicatorsStudents and Credentials

2018

saskatchewan.ca

1Post-Secondary Education Indicators

Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Education Indicators: Students and Credentials

Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions and the Ministry of Advanced Education are working together to develop and implement the Post-Secondary Education Indicators Project to collect, analyze and report sector-wide post-secondary data. This report represents the first release of data from the project, and focuses on the inputs and outputs of the sector: the numbers and demographic details of students enrolled and the numbers and types of credentials awarded.

The project is currently in a pilot phase that includes the province’s three largest institutions – Saskatchewan Polytechnic, the University of Regina, and the University of Saskatchewan. The current data is limited to students enrolled in credentialed programming (i.e. Degree, Diploma or Certificate programs) through the pilot institutions. While the majority of these students take their classes on the main campuses of the pilot institutions, this data also includes students taking university or Saskatchewan Polytechnic programming offered at Saskatchewan’s federated and regional colleges, at Dumont Technical Institute, at colleges in Canada’s northern territories, and across the country and abroad through online platforms1. Data submitted to the Ministry is from the years 2013 through 2017. New data will be submitted annually by the institutions.

Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Students: EnrolmentIn the fall of 2017, there were over 42,500 students enrolled in credentialed programs through Saskatchewan’s three largest institutions. The total number of post-secondary students has been growing steadily over the past five years, with the fall headcount2 increasing at an annual rate of 1.9%.

Figure 1: Total Fall Enrolment, 2013-2017

1 All discussion of Saskatchewan’s post-secondary education sector, institutions, and students in this report refer exclusively to credentialed programming through one of the three pilot institutions. 2 The fall headcount is the number of distinct students registered in credentialed programming as of the official fall census date observed by each institution.

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A large majority of these students are enrolled in Bachelor’s degree programs (nearly three-quarters), which is unchanged over the past five years.

Figure 2: Enrolment by Credential type, 2017

Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Students: CredentialsIn 2017, over 11,400 credentials were awarded by Saskatchewan’s two universities and Saskatchewan Polytechnic. The total number of credentials awarded at these institutions has been growing at a similar rate to that of enrolment, increasing 1.6% annually over the past five years.

Figure 3: Total Credentials awarded, 2013-2017

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3Post-Secondary Education Indicators

As with enrolment, more Bachelor’s degrees are awarded than any other credential type. However, Diplomas and Certificates are a larger share of the credential total than of enrolment, owing to the short-term nature of these programs (one or two years) compared to Bachelor’s degrees which typically take longer (4 or more years) to complete.

Figure 4: Credentials awarded, 2017

A majority of credentials are awarded to graduates in their 20s (66% in 2017). However, an increasing number of credentials are being awarded to graduates in their 30s, suggesting that students are pursuing post-secondary education later into their lives. Credentials awarded to graduates aged 30-39 has increased by 21% over the last five years.

Figure 5: Credentials by age group, 2017

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4 saskatchewan.ca

Figure 6: Credential growth by age group, 2013-17

Saskatchewan’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit StudentsIn 2017 there were nearly 5,400 First Nations, Métis and Inuit students enrolled in credentialed programs at Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions. Between 2013 and 2017 Saskatchewan has experienced a 26% increase in the number of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students enrolled at our post-secondary institutions.

Similarly, the number of credentials awarded to First Nations, Métis and Inuit students has grown an impressive 35% since 2013 with nearly 1,700 such credentials awarded in 2017.

Figure 7: Enrolment and Credential growth among First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, 2013-17

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5Post-Secondary Education Indicators

International Students in SaskatchewanThe number of International students enrolled at Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions topped 5,000 in 2017. Between 2013 and 2017 the number of International students has grown by 29%, while the number of credentials awarded to International students has increased by 37%.

Figure 8: Enrolment and Credential growth among International students, 2013-17

In terms of both students enrolled and credentials awarded, the greatest increases over the past five years have been among First Nations, Métis and Inuit students and International students, which together are fueling Saskatchewan’s overall growth in the post-secondary education sector.

Figure 9: Enrolment growth, 2013-17

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6 saskatchewan.ca

Figure 10: Credential growth, 2013-17

The next project report will focus on the value of post-secondary education in Saskatchewan, for both students and society.

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Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Education IndicatorsStudents and Credentials

2018

saskatchewan.ca

saskatchewan.ca

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