Second Consecutive Civics Study (2007) Still Shows American College Students Failing Civic Literacy

Intercollegiate Studies Institute ^ | Sept 18, 2007

[SirLinksalot]

America’s Founders were convinced American freedom could survive only if each generation understood its founding principles and the sacrifices made to maintain it.

Failing Our Students, Failing America: Holding Colleges Accountable for Teaching America’s History and Institutions asks: Is American higher education doing its duty to prepare the next generation to maintain our legacy of liberty?

In fall 2005, researchers at the University of Connecticut’s Department of Public Policy (UConnDPP), commissioned by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s (ISI) National Civic Literacy Board, conducted a survey of some 14,000 freshmen and seniors at 50 colleges and universities. Students were asked 60 multiple-choice questions to measure their knowledge in four subject areas: America’s history, government, international relations, and market economy. The disappointing results were published by ISI in fall 2006 in The Coming Crisis in Citizenship: Higher Education’s Failure to Teach America’s History and Institutions. Seniors, on average, failed all four subjects, and their overall average score was 53.2%.

This report follows up on The Coming Crisis in Citizenship. It is based on an analysis of the results of a second survey of some 14,000 freshmen and seniors at 50 colleges conducted by the research team at UConn in the fall of 2006. The results of this second survey corroborate and extend the results of the first. Seniors once again failed all four subjects.

The question now is: Will legislators, donors, trustees, parents, and other decision-makers hold colleges accountable?

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MAJOR FINDINGS Finding 1: College Seniors Failed a Basic Test on America’s History and Institutions. The average college senior knows astoundingly little about America’s history, government, international relations and market economy, earning an “F” on the American civic literacy exam with a score of 54.2%. Harvard seniors did best, but their overall average was 69.6%, a disappointing D+.

Finding 2: Colleges Stall Student Learning about America. From kindergarten through 12th grade, the average student gains 2.3 points per year in civic knowledge, almost twice the annual gain of the average college student. Students at some colleges did learn more per year than students in grade school, demonstrating that it is possible.

Eastern Connecticut State, one of 25 colleges randomly selected for this year’s survey, was the best performer, increasing civic knowledge by 9.65 points. Rhodes College, which increased civic knowledge by 7.42 points, was the best performer among 18 elite colleges surveyed both this year and last. Rhodes was also the best overall performer last year. Finding 3: America’s Most Prestigious Universities Performed the Worst. Colleges that do well in popular rankings typically do not do well in advancing civic knowledge.

Generally, the higher U.S. News & World Report ranks a college, the lower it ranks here in civic learning. At four colleges U.S. News ranked in its top 12 (Cornell, Yale, Duke, and Princeton), seniors scored lower than freshmen. These colleges are elite centers of “negative learning.” Cornell was the third-worst performer last year and the worst this year. Surveyed colleges ranked by Barron’s imparted only about one-third the civic learning of colleges overlooked by Barron’s. Finding 4: Inadequate College Curriculum Contributes to Failure. The number of history, political science, and economics courses a student takes helps determine, together with the quality of these courses, whether he acquires knowledge about America during college. Students generally gain one point of civic knowledge for each civics course taken. The average senior, however, has taken only four such courses.

Finding 5: Greater Learning about America Goes Hand-in-Hand with More Active Citizenship. Students who gain more civic knowledge during college are more likely to vote and engage in other civic activities than students who gain less.

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ADDITIONAL FINDINGS Additional Finding 1: Higher Quality Family Life Contributes to More Learning about America. College seniors whose families engaged in frequent conversations about current events and history, whose parents were married and living together, and who came from homes where English was the primary language all tended to learn more than students who lacked these advantages.

Additional Finding 2: American Colleges Under-Serve Minority Students. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. eloquently argued that the civil rights movement was rooted in America’s founding documents as well as key historical events and decisions. American colleges today are not helping minorities learn this heritage. On average, minority seniors (Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Multiracial) answered less than half the exam questions correctly and made no significant overall gain in civic knowledge during college. Civic-knowledge gain among whites was six times greater.

Additional Finding 3: American Colleges Don’t Teach Their Foreign Students about America. The average foreign student at an American college learns nothing about America’s history and institutions. Colleges thus squander an opportunity to foster greater understanding of America’s institutions in an increasingly hostile world.

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QUESTIONS OF ACCOUNTABILITY 1: Are Parents and Students Getting Their Money’s Worth from College Costs? The least-expensive colleges increase civic knowledge more than the most expensive.

2: Are Taxpayers and Legislators Getting Their Money’s Worth from College Subsidies? Colleges enjoying larger subsidies in the form of government-funded grants to students tend to increase civic knowledge less than colleges enjoying smaller such subsidies.

3: Are Alumni and Philanthropists Getting Their Money’s Worth from the Donations they make to Colleges? Some of the worst-performing colleges also have the largest, most rapidly growing endowments. These include Yale, Penn, Duke, Princeton, and Cornell.

4: Are College Trustees Getting Their Money’s Worth from College Presidents? Six of the 10 worst-performing colleges also ranked among the top 10 for the salaries they paid their presidents. These include Penn, Cornell, Yale, Princeton, Rutgers and Duke, which paid their presidents $500,000 or more.

5: Are Colleges Encouraging Students to Take Enough Courses about America’s History and Institutions and Then Assessing the Quality of These Courses? The average senior had completed only four courses in history, political science, and economics. But more courses taken did not always mean more knowledge gained. At eight colleges, each additional civics course a student completed, on average, decreased his civic knowledge

[SirLinksalot]

This relates to a Previous Study Done at about the same time last year by the University of Connecticut.

[SirLinksalot]

Rankings

NO COLLEGE EARNED BETTER THAN A “D+”

Rank College Mean Senior Score (2006) (% correct)

1. Harvard University 69.56%
2. Grove City College (PA) 67.26
3. Washington & Lee University (VA) 66.98
4. Yale University 65.85
5. Brown University 65.64
6. University of Virginia 65.28
7. Wheaton College (IL) 64.98
8. University of Pennsylvania 63.49
9. Duke University 63.41
10. Bowdoin College (ME) 62.86
11. Princeton University 61.90
12. University of Notre Dame 61.25
13. Rhodes College (TN) 61.18
14. Smith College (MA) 60.07
15. University of Rochester (NY)* 59.32
16. University of Wisconsin 57.87
17. University of Georgia* 57.76
18. University of North Carolina 57.68
19. Cornell University 56.95
20. Carnegie Mellon University* 56.90
21. Calvin College (MI) 56.45
22. University of California-Berkeley 56.27
23. University of Washington 55.88
24. Concordia University (NE)* 55.28
25. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities* 53.50
26. University of Florida 53.40
27. Iowa State University* 52.69
28. University of Montana* 52.16
29. Gonzaga University (WA) 51.86
30. University of Michigan 51.00
31. Illinois State University* 50.93
32. Mississippi State University* 50.86
33. Rutgers University* 49.99
34. George Mason University (VA) 49.96
35. Murray State University (KY)* 49.75
36. University of Mississippi 49.32
37. IdahoState University* 48.15
38. University of Massachusetts-Amherst* 46.66
39. Mount Vernon Nazarene University (OH)* 44.60
40. Pfeiffer University (NC)* 44.30
41. St. Cloud State University (MN)* 44.26
42. Texas State University-San Marcos* 43.99
43. Georgia College and State University* 43.68
44. University of Southern Maine* 43.58
45. Marian College (WI)* 43.10
46. Texas A&M International University* 41.14
47. Eastern Connecticut State University* 40.99
48. St. John’s University (NY)* 39.82
49. Oakwood College (AL)* 34.69
50. St. Thomas University (FL)* 32.50

* Randomly selected school

[roses of sharon]

By design, the left rules.

[End Times Sentinel]

NO COLLEGE EARNED BETTER THAN A “D+”

Rank College Mean Senior Score (2006) (% correct)

Oh, well, THERE'S your problem. Temple wasn't on the survey list.

Owl_Eagle

If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.

[SirLinksalot]

2007-2008

2006

College Test Scores and Rankings –

The Survey

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Tables

The following tables are taken from the report, Failing Our Students, Failing America.

NO COLLEGE EARNED BETTER THAN A “D+”
Rank	College	Mean Senior Score (2006) (% correct)
1.	Harvard University	69.56%
2.	Grove City College (PA)	67.26
3.	Washington & Lee University (VA)	66.98
4.	Yale University	65.85
5.	Brown University	65.64
6.	University of Virginia	65.28
7.	Wheaton College (IL)	64.98
8.	University of Pennsylvania	63.49
9.	Duke University	63.41
10.	Bowdoin College (ME)	62.86
11.	Princeton University	61.90
12.	University of Notre Dame	61.25
13.	Rhodes College (TN)	61.18
14.	Smith College (MA)	60.07
15.	University of Rochester (NY)*	59.32
16.	University of Wisconsin	57.87
17.	University of Georgia*	57.76
18.	University of North Carolina	57.68
19.	Cornell University	56.95
20.	Carnegie Mellon University*	56.90
21.	Calvin College (MI)	56.45
22.	University of California-Berkeley	56.27
23.	University of Washington	55.88
24.	Concordia University (NE)*	55.28
25.	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities*	53.50
26.	University of Florida	53.40
27.	Iowa State University*	52.69
28.	University of Montana*	52.16
29.	Gonzaga University (WA)	51.86
30.	University of Michigan	51.00
31.	Illinois State University*	50.93
32.	Mississippi State University*	50.86
33.	Rutgers University*	49.99
34.	George Mason University (VA)	49.96
35.	Murray State University (KY)*	49.75
36.	University of Mississippi	49.32
37.	IdahoState University*	48.15
38.	University of Massachusetts-Amherst*	46.66
39.	Mount Vernon Nazarene University (OH)*	44.60
40.	Pfeiffer University (NC)*	44.30
41.	St. Cloud State University (MN)*	44.26
42.	Texas State University-San Marcos*	43.99
43.	Georgia College and State University*	43.68
44.	University of Southern Maine*	43.58
45.	Marian College (WI)*	43.10
46.	Texas A&M International University*	41.14
47.	Eastern Connecticut State University*	40.99
48.	St. John’s University (NY)*	39.82
49.	Oakwood College (AL)*	34.69
50.	St. Thomas University (FL)*	32.50
* Randomly selected school

THE AVERAGE SENIOR FAILED ALL FOUR SUBJECTS, AGAIN
Test Section	Senior Mean (2006)	Senior Mean (2005)
Overall	54.2%	53.2%
American History	58.8%	58.5%
American Political Thought	55.2%	51.4%
America and the World	50.8%	51.5%
The Market Economy	51.1%	50.5%

EASTERN CONNECTICUT INCREASED CIVIC KNOWLEDGE MOST
This table ranks the 50 schools in this year’s survey by the difference in average scores between their freshmen and their seniors on the American civic literacy exam. Eastern Connecticut State University ranked first in civic-knowledge “value added.” Cornell University ranked last.
Rank by Value Added	College	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
1.	Eastern Connecticut State University*	31.34%	40.99%	+9.65%
2.	Marian College (WI)*	33.66	43.10	9.44
3.	Murray State University (KY)*	40.63	49.75	9.12
4.	Concordia University (NE)*	46.29	55.28	8.99
5.	St. Cloud State University (MN)*	35.67	44.26	8.59
6.	Mississippi State University*	42.50	50.86	8.36
7.	Pfeiffer University (NC)*	36.05	44.30	8.25
8.	Illinois State University*	42.74	50.93	8.19
9.	Iowa State University*	45.03	52.69	7.66
10.	University of Mississippi	41.87	49.32	7.45
11.	Smith College (MA)	52.63	60.07	7.44
12.	Rhodes College (TN)	53.76	61.18	7.42
13.	University of Montana*	45.54	52.16	6.62
14.	Idaho State University*	41.76	48.15	6.39
15.	University of Wisconsin	51.57	57.87	6.30
16.	University of Southern Maine*	37.48	43.58	6.10
17.	Harvard University	63.59	69.56	5.97
18.	University of Notre Dame	55.66	61.25	5.59
19.	Mt. Vernon Nazarene Univ. (OH)*	40.04	44.60	4.56
20.	Washington & Lee University	62.46	66.98	4.52
21.	Calvin College (MI)	51.99	56.45	4.46
22.	University of Florida	48.96	53.40	4.44
23.	University of North Carolina	53.26	57.68	4.42
24.	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities*	49.18	53.50	4.32
25.	University of Michigan	46.68	51.00	4.32
26.	University of Washington	51.63	55.88	4.25
27.	Gonzaga University (WA)	47.71	51.86	4.15
28.	University of Rochester (NY)*	55.69	59.32	3.63
29.	Grove City College (PA)	63.64	67.26	3.62
30.	Georgia College and State University*	40.28	43.68	3.40
31.	Bowdoin College (ME)	59.50	62.86	3.36
32.	University of Georgia*	54.48	57.76	3.28
33.	Carnegie Mellon University*	54.06	56.90	2.84
34.	St. Thomas University (FL)*	29.75	32.50	2.75
35.	Texas State University-San Marcos*	41.25	43.99	2.74
36.	Texas A&M International University*	38.43	41.14	2.71
37.	George Mason University (VA)	47.28	49.96	2.68
38.	University of Virginia	62.95	65.28	2.33
39.	Brown University	63.42	65.64	2.22
40.	Wheaton College (IL)	62.87	64.98	2.11
41.	University of Pennsylvania	62.66	63.49	0.83
42.	University of Massachusetts-Amherst*	46.10	46.66	0.56
43.	Oakwood College (AL)*	35.17	34.69	-0.48
44.	University of California-Berkeley	57.03	56.27	-0.76
45.	Rutgers University*	50.93	49.99	-0.94
46.	Princeton University	63.60	61.90	-1.70
47.	St. John’s University (NY)*	41.69	39.82	-1.87
48.	Duke University	65.66	63.41	-2.25
49.	Yale University	68.94	65.85	-3.09
50.	Cornell University	61.90	56.95	-4.95
* Randomly selected school

2006 NATIONWIDE RESULTSAverage Percent Correct by Subject and Class Year
Test Section	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
Overall	50.4%	54.2%	+3.8%*
American History	56.6%	58.8%	+2.2%*
American Political Thought	52.0%	55.2%	+3.2%*
America and the World	46.8%	50.8%	4.0%*
The Market Economy	44.9%	51.1%	6.2%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater across the 50 schools surveyed.

PUBLIC COLLEGES OUT-PERFORMED IVY LEAGUE COLLEGES Average Percent Correct by Alternative Measures of Prestige (2006)
Rank by Value	Classification	Freshman Average	Senior Average	Value Added*
1.	State, Non-Flagship Universities	41.5%	47.4%	+5.9%
2.	Private, Secular, Non-Ivy Universities	56.2	60.1	+3.9
3.	“Public Ivies” or State Flagship Universities	50.7	54.4	+3.7
4.	Catholic Universities	45.2	48.3	+3.1
5.	Protestant Universities	53.8	56.6	+2.8
6.	Ivy-league Universities	64.0	64.1	+0.1
1.	25 universities surveyed by ISI that were ranked lowest by U.S. News & World Report	42.5	47.7	+5.2
2.	25 universities surveyed by ISI that were ranked highest by U.S. News & World Report	57.2	59.5	+2.3
1.	Universities omitted from Barron’s “Most Competitive” listing (35 universities)	45.7	50.3	+4.6
2.	Universities included in Barron’s “Most Competitive” listing (15 universities)	60.8	62.5	+1.7
1.	Least expensive 25 universities (out-of-state cost <$22,500)	43.5	48.7	+5.2
2.	Most expensive 25 universities (out-of-state cost >$22,500)	56.9	59.1	+2.2
1.	25 universities whose students receive lower government subsidies (Average annual subsidy less than $6,100)	45.9	51.6	+5.7
2.	25 universities whose students receive higher government subsidies (Average annual subsidy greater than $6,100)	54.1	56.1	+2.0
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater across the 50 schools surveyed.

COLLEGE RANK BY CIVIC COURSE QUALITY
Rank by Course Quality*	School	Civic Value Added	Mean Courses Taken **	Course Quality (Civic Knowledge Gained per Civic Course)*
Mean		+3.80	4.00	+0.95%*
1.	Concordia University (NE)	9.00	2.42	3.72
2.	Marian College (WI)	9.44	3.24	2.91
3.	St. Cloud State University (MN)	8.59	3.21	2.68
4.	Murray State University (KY)	9.20	3.58	2.57
5.	Eastern Connecticut State University	9.65	3.80	2.54
6.	Mississippi State University	8.36	3.72	2.25
7.	Pfeiffer University (NC)	8.25	3.94	2.09
8.	Iowa State University	7.66	3.71	2.06
9.	University of Mississippi	7.46	3.92	1.90
10.	Illinois State University	8.19	4.34	1.89
11.	Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (OH)	4.56	2.55	1.79
12.	University of Southern Maine	6.11	3.60	1.69
13.	Idaho State University	6.39	3.86	1.66
14.	Smith College (MA)	7.44	4.56	1.63
15.	University of Wisconsin	6.30	3.86	1.63
16.	University of Montana	6.62	4.30	1.54
17.	Rhodes College (TN)	7.42	5.45	1.36
18.	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	4.32	3.17	1.36
19.	University of Washington	4.25	3.15	1.35
20.	University of Florida	4.43	3	1.29
21.	Calvin College (MI)	4.46	3.56	1.25
22.	Grove City College (PA)	3.61	2.96	1.22
23.	Harvard University	5.97	5.06	1.18
24.	University of North Carolina	4.42	3.95	1.12
25.	University of Notre Dame	5.59	5.48	1.02
26.	University of Michigan	4.32	4.41	0.98
27.	Carnegie Mellon University	2.84	2.97	0.96
28.	University of Rochester (NY)	3.63	3.91	0.93
29.	St. Thomas University (FL)	2.75	3.07	0.89
30.	Gonzaga University (WA)	4.16	4.70	0.88
31.	Georgia College and State University	3.40	4.36	0.78
32.	University of Georgia	3.28	4.26	0.77
33.	Texas State University-San Marcos	2.74	4.31	0.64
34.	Wheaton College (IL)	2.12	3.33	0.64
35.	Washington & Lee University (VA)	4.53	7.62	0.59
36.	George Mason University (VA)	2.69	4.54	0.59
37.	Texas A&M International University	2.71	5.16	0.52
38.	University of Virginia	2.33	5.11	0.46
39.	Bowdoin College (ME)	3.36	7.55	0.44
40.	Brown University	2.22	5.01	0.44
41.	University of Pennsylvania	0.84	5.20	0.16
42.	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	0.56	3.57	0.16
43.	University of California-Berkeley	-0.76	3.68	-0.21
44.	Oakwood College (AL)	-0.48	2.00	-0.24
45.	Rutgers University	-0.93	3.40	-0.28
46.	Yale University	-3.09	6.10	-0.51
47.	Duke University	-2.25	3.93	-0.57
48.	St. John’s University	-1.87	2.80	-0.67
49.	Princeton University	-1.70	2.48	-0.68
50.	Cornell University	-4.95	2.74	-1.81
* Civic course quality is estimated by average civic learning at a college divided by the average number of relevant courses taken by students. ** Relevant civic courses taken by seniors surveyed based on the number of history, economics, and political science courses as reported by the students.

TOP 10 THINGS STUDENTS “UNLEARNED” ABOUT AMERICAN HISTORY
Although the average college senior outscored the average college freshman by 3.8 points overall on the American civic literacy exam, seniors were especially less likely than freshmen to correctly answer questions about major themes in American history. Here are the themes of the top 10 history questions that seniors were less likely to answer correctly than freshmen.
Theme	Negative Learning
1. Power of judicial review	-10.47
2. President Washington’s foreign policy	-8.03
3. Monroe Doctrine	-7.75
4. The Federalist Papers	-4.70
5. Settlement of Jamestown	-2.03
6. American Revolutionary War	-1.83
7. War of 1812	-1.56
8. Civil War events	-1.54
9. Thomas Paine and Common Sense	-1.49
10. Reconstruction	-0.89

COMPARATIVE RESULTS FOR REPEAT COLLEGES
	2006 Results				2005 Results
College	2006 Rank	Freshmen	Seniors	Value Added	2005 Rank	Freshmen	Seniors	Value Added
Rhodes College (TN)	1.	53.76%	61.18%	+7.42%	1.	50.63%	62.23%	+11.60%
Harvard University	2.	63.59	69.56	5.97	6.	67.81	69.71	1.90
Washington & Lee University (VA)	3.	62.46	66.98	4.52	10.	63.61	63.85	0.24
Calvin College (MI)	4.	51.99	56.45	4.46	2.	49.52	58.99	9.47
University of Florida	5.	48.96	53.40	4.44	12.	48.55	47.78	-0.77
University of North Carolina	6.	53.26	57.68	4.42	9.	54.83	56.46	1.63
University of Michigan	7.	46.68	51.00	4.32	11.	52.13	52.07	-0.06
University of Washington	8.	51.63	55.88	4.25	8.	48.32	50.13	1.80
Grove City College (PA)	9.	63.64	67.26	3.62	3.	58.98	68.37	9.39
George Mason University (VA)	10.	47.28	49.96	2.68	4.	50.87	55.86	4.99
University of Virginia	11.	62.95	65.28	2.33	13.	63.73	62.66	-1.07
Brown University	12.	63.42	65.64	2.22	16.	62.47	59.84	-2.64
Wheaton College (IL)	13.	62.87	64.98	2.11	7.	59.69	61.64	1.95
University of California-Berkeley	14.	57.03	56.27	-0.76	18.	60.44	54.87	-5.57
Princeton University	15.	63.60	61.90	-1.70	5.	66.03	68.78	2.75
Duke University	16.	65.66	63.41	-2.25	15.	60.59	58.29	-2.29
Yale University	17.	68.94	65.85	-3.09	14.	69.76	68.28	-1.48
Cornell University	18.	61.90	56.95	-4.95	17.	59.39	56.14	-3.25

FAMILY MATTERS
This table shows the relative impact on civic learning associated with five factors related to a student’s family. For example, students from families that frequently discussed current events and history gained 2.32 percentage points more on average than students from families that did not. The values in this table represent the unique impact of each factor on civic learning.
Factor	Gain in Civic Learning
Frequent family discussion of current events/history	+2.32 points
English was primary language	+1.80
Father has at least a bachelor’s degree	+0.96
Mother has at least a bachelor’s degree	+0.76
Parents married and living together	+0.70
These are coefficients from a multiple regression analysis that account for the unique influences of the individual student, family, college characteristics, the community surrounding the college, and the student’s college peers.

CIVIC LEARNING BY RACE AND ETHNICITY
Characteristic	Freshman Average	Senior Average	Value Added
White	51.7%	56.8%	+5.1%*
Minority (Non-White)	47.4%	48.2%	+0.8%
Asian	52.3%	51.3%	-1.0%
Black	41.6%	42.5%	+0.9%
Hispanic	43.8%	45.5%	+1.7%
Multi-racial	49.3%	52.0%	+2.8%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater.

RESULTS FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS ATTENDING AMERICAN COLLEGES Average Percent Correct by Subject and by Cohort
Test Section	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
Overall	43.4%	43.5%	+0.1%
American History	45.4%	42.5%	-2.9%
American Political Thought	43.8%	44.7%	+0.9%
America and the World	41.6%	41.8%	+0.2%
The Market Economy	42.3%	45.4%	+3.1%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater.

RESULTS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP Average Percent Correct by Subject and by Cohort
Test Section	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
Overall	50.9%	55.1%	+4.2%*
American History	57.3%	60.0%	+2.7%*
American Political Thought	52.6%	56.2%	+3.6%*
America and the World	47.2%	51.6%	+4.4%*
The Market Economy	45.3%	51.8%	+6.5%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater.

EXPENSIVE, POORLY PERFORMING COLLEGESThese colleges have a “sticker price” greater than $30,000 but rank among the bottom 10 for civic knowledge gained by students.
College	Sticker Price*	Rank by Civic Added	Civic Value Added
University of Pennsylvania	$34,156	41	+0.83%
Duke University	$33,963	48	-2.25%
Yale University	$33,030	49	-3.09%
Princeton University	$33,000	46	-1.70%
Cornell University	$32,981	50	-4.95%
* 2005 tuition and fees, or out-of-state cost, as reported to The College Board

LESS EXPENSIVE, BETTER PERFORMING COLLEGES These colleges have a “sticker price” less than $15,000 but rank among the top 10 for civic knowledge gained by students.
College	Sticker Price*	Rank by Civic Added	Civic Value Added
University of Mississippi	$10,560	10	+7.45%
Mississippi State University	$10,560	6	+8.36%
St. Cloud State University	$11,673	5	+8.59%
Murray State University	$13,566	3	+9.12%
Eastern Connecticut University	$13,570	1	+9.65%
Illinois State University	$14,730	8	+8.19%
* 2005 tuition and fees, or out-of-state cost, as reported to The College Board

HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED, POORLY PERFORMING COLLEGES
These colleges ranked among the bottom 10 for civic knowledge gained by students, but their students received an above-average total sum in government grants to freshmen (the average was $6,453 across the 50 schools in the survey).
College	Average Total Government Grants to Freshmen	Endowment in Billions	Rank by Value Added	Value Added
Yale University	$11,102	$18.03	49	-3.09%
University of Pennsylvania	$9,666	$5.30	41	+0.83%
Duke University	$8,785	$4.50	48	-2.25%
Rutgers University	$8,231	$0.55	45	-0.94%
Princeton University	$8,215	$13.00	46	-1.70%
Cornell University	$7,524	$4.30	50	-4.95%
St. John's University	$7,386	$0.30	47	-1.87%

LESS SUBSIDIZED, BETTER PERFORMING COLLEGES
These colleges ranked among the top ten for civic knowledge gained by students, and their students received a below-average total sum in government grants to freshmen (the average was $6,453 across the 50 schools in the survey).
College	Average Total Government Grants to Freshmen	Endowment in Billions	Rank by Value Added	Value Added
East Connecticut State University	$3,721	$0.0001	1	+9.65%
Iowa State University	$3,946	$0.102	9	+7.66%
Mississippi State University	$4,225	$0.211	6	+8.36%
Concordia University	$4,250	$0.021	4	+8.99%
St. Cloud State University	$4,264	$0.01	5	+8.59%
University of Mississippi	$4,316	$0.42	10	+7.45%
Murray State University	$4,820	$0.014	3	+9.12%
Pfeiffer University	$4,887	$0.013	7	+8.25%

WELL-PAID PRESIDENTS, POORLY PERFORMING COLLEGES
Among the 50 schools in the ISI survey, these colleges ranked in the top 10 for the salaries they paid their presidents but the bottom 10 for the civic knowledge gained by their students.
College	President's Salary	Mean Faculty Salary	Value Added
University of Pennsylvania	$675,000	$124,167	+0.83%
Cornell University	$630,747	$101,788	-4.95%
Yale University	$618,822	$112,558	-3.09%
Princeton University	$542,875	$121,520	-1.70%
Rutgers University	$525,000	$88,963	-0.94%
Duke University	$500,000	$97,756	-2.25%

LOWER PAID PRESIDENTS, BETTER PERFORMING COLLEGES
Among the 50 schools in the ISI survey, these colleges ranked in the bottom 10 for the salaries they paid their presidents and the top 10 for the civic knowledge gained by their students.
College	President's Salary	Mean Faculty Salary	Value Added
Concordia University	$164,646	$50,343	+8.99%
Marian College	$166,630	$51,638	+9.44%
Pfeiffer University	$186,000	$49,848	+8.25%

STANFORD UNIVERSITY RESULTS FROM SPRING 2007 Average Percent Correct for Freshmen and Seniors
Test Section	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
Overall	66.13%	66.93%	+0.80%
American History	70.07%	69.03%	-1.04%
American Political Thought	69.64%	69.50%	-0.10%
America and the World	63.19%	64.36%	+1.20%
The Market Economy	60.80%	64.59%	+3.80%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater.

STUDENT POPULATION
Population	Number of Schools	Percentage
Total	1,412	100%
Total Public	512	36.3%
Total Private	900	63.7%
<5,000 Students	1,010	71.5%
5,000 To <10,000 Students	201	14.2%
10,000 Or More Students	201	14.2%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

AVERAGE CIVIC LEARNING BY QUESTION (2006 TESTING)±
Each question included was intended to test important knowledge. Working with a distinguished board of professors from around the country and outside reviewers, we identified 60 themes that appear in the first column of the following table. This listing illustrates the range of ideas tested in American history (questions 1–17), American government and political thought (18–31), international affairs (32–47) and the market economy (48–60). The themes consist of basic civic knowledge or concepts, not obscure or arbitrarily selected knowledge.
	Question Theme (*denotes an NAEP question)	Freshman Percent Correct	Senior Percent Correct	Civic Gain Percent	Rank by Gain
1.	Jamestown colony	46.42%	44.39%	-2.03%	54
2.	The Puritan religious tradition	48.54	47.87	-0.67	47
3.	Form of the U.S. government	54.20	57.98	3.78	32
4.	George Washington’s founding role	68.30	74.50	6.20	23
5.	The American Revolutionary War	47.73	45.90	-1.83	53
6.	The inalienable rights enumerated in the Declaration	80.46	85.06	4.60	29
7.	Chronology of major historical events	49.25	47.71	-1.54	51
8.	Origin of the doctrine of separation of church and state	28.07	31.84	3.77	33
9.	Outcome of the War of 1812	35.50	33.94	-1.56	52
10.	The thought of Abraham Lincoln	66.02	68.90	2.88	39
11.	Timing of the Civil War	58.00	61.42	3.42	37
12.	The New Deal	80.62	84.68	4.06	31
13.	Reconstruction*	43.66	42.77	-0.89	49
14.	Women’s suffrage	56.04	58.24	2.20	41
15.	Roe v. Wade	56.77	65.20	8.43	12
16.	Brown v. Board of Education	80.19	84.61	4.42	30
17.	World War II	68.50	70.72	2.22	40
18.	Declaration of Independence	45.26	45.95	0.69	44
19.	Plato’s Republic	18.04	24.67	6.63	19
20.	The concept of representative democracy	72.37	78.63	6.26	22
21.	The Federalist Papers	54.63	49.93	-4.70	57
22.	Concept of the separation of powers	68.42	75.27	6.85	16
23.	Marbury v. Madison	52.14	41.67	-10.47	60
24.	Federalism defined	45.93	43.76	-2.17	55
25.	Common law	45.97	56.79	10.82	4
26.	John Locke and the Declaration of Independence	72.17	72.06	-0.11	46
27.	Founders’ understanding of moral and political knowledge	56.57	62.69	6.12	24
28.	Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.	79.93	85.74	5.81	26
29.	Classical thought and relativism	40.52	51.12	10.60	5
30.	The Bill of Rights	45.85	48.01	2.16	42
31.	The nature of society	36.78	43.61	6.83	17
32.	Thomas Paine and Common Sense	71.12	69.63	-1.49	50
33.	Enumerated powers	29.28	29.32	0.04	45
34.	President Washington’s foreign policy	44.65	36.62	-8.03	59
35.	Monroe Doctrine	29.94	22.19	-7.75	58
36.	Traditional just war criteria	15.83	19.34	3.51	35
37.	NATO	39.15	42.66	3.51	36
38.	Alternative forms of government	42.43	49.16	6.73	18
39.	Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America)	41.36	47.69	6.33	21
40.	The United Nations	61.70	68.10	6.40	20
41.	The Cold War and the USSR	76.11	84.79	8.68	10
42.	The Kennedy Administration	51.77	57.73	5.96	25
43.	Concept of balance of power	47.98	55.31	7.33	14
44.	The Vietnam War*	43.44	47.11	3.67	34
45.	The Cold War	76.34	81.30	4.96	28
46.	Saddam Hussein	29.68	40.12	10.44	7
47.	Persian Gulf War 1991	53.92	68.40	14.48	1
48.	Inflation and the value of money	56.03	68.55	12.52	2
49.	Free enterprise defined	61.29	68.75	7.46	13
50.	Source of market prosperity	30.98	37.84	6.86	15
51.	Gross Domestic Product (GDP)*	67.64	77.70	10.06	8
52.	Definition of business profit	61.19	70.05	8.86	9
53.	Concept of a public good	36.10	44.65	8.55	11
54.	Keynesian economic thought and policy	32.47	35.61	3.14	38
55.	Income distribution in America	24.73	25.45	0.72	43
56.	Gains from trade*	63.35	73.90	10.55	6
57.	Law of demand*	54.33	59.67	5.34	27
58.	Monetary policy*	24.53	23.84	-0.69	48
59.	Tax policy	53.23	64.95	11.72	3
60.	Federal budget	24.04	20.82	-3.22	56
±Learning equals average percent correct among seniors minus that for freshmen.

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2007-2008

2006

College Test Scores and Rankings –

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Tables

The following tables are taken from the report, Failing Our Students, Failing America.

NO COLLEGE EARNED BETTER THAN A “D+”
Rank	College	Mean Senior Score (2006) (% correct)
1.	Harvard University	69.56%
2.	Grove City College (PA)	67.26
3.	Washington & Lee University (VA)	66.98
4.	Yale University	65.85
5.	Brown University	65.64
6.	University of Virginia	65.28
7.	Wheaton College (IL)	64.98
8.	University of Pennsylvania	63.49
9.	Duke University	63.41
10.	Bowdoin College (ME)	62.86
11.	Princeton University	61.90
12.	University of Notre Dame	61.25
13.	Rhodes College (TN)	61.18
14.	Smith College (MA)	60.07
15.	University of Rochester (NY)*	59.32
16.	University of Wisconsin	57.87
17.	University of Georgia*	57.76
18.	University of North Carolina	57.68
19.	Cornell University	56.95
20.	Carnegie Mellon University*	56.90
21.	Calvin College (MI)	56.45
22.	University of California-Berkeley	56.27
23.	University of Washington	55.88
24.	Concordia University (NE)*	55.28
25.	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities*	53.50
26.	University of Florida	53.40
27.	Iowa State University*	52.69
28.	University of Montana*	52.16
29.	Gonzaga University (WA)	51.86
30.	University of Michigan	51.00
31.	Illinois State University*	50.93
32.	Mississippi State University*	50.86
33.	Rutgers University*	49.99
34.	George Mason University (VA)	49.96
35.	Murray State University (KY)*	49.75
36.	University of Mississippi	49.32
37.	IdahoState University*	48.15
38.	University of Massachusetts-Amherst*	46.66
39.	Mount Vernon Nazarene University (OH)*	44.60
40.	Pfeiffer University (NC)*	44.30
41.	St. Cloud State University (MN)*	44.26
42.	Texas State University-San Marcos*	43.99
43.	Georgia College and State University*	43.68
44.	University of Southern Maine*	43.58
45.	Marian College (WI)*	43.10
46.	Texas A&M International University*	41.14
47.	Eastern Connecticut State University*	40.99
48.	St. John’s University (NY)*	39.82
49.	Oakwood College (AL)*	34.69
50.	St. Thomas University (FL)*	32.50
* Randomly selected school

THE AVERAGE SENIOR FAILED ALL FOUR SUBJECTS, AGAIN
Test Section	Senior Mean (2006)	Senior Mean (2005)
Overall	54.2%	53.2%
American History	58.8%	58.5%
American Political Thought	55.2%	51.4%
America and the World	50.8%	51.5%
The Market Economy	51.1%	50.5%

EASTERN CONNECTICUT INCREASED CIVIC KNOWLEDGE MOST
This table ranks the 50 schools in this year’s survey by the difference in average scores between their freshmen and their seniors on the American civic literacy exam. Eastern Connecticut State University ranked first in civic-knowledge “value added.” Cornell University ranked last.
Rank by Value Added	College	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
1.	Eastern Connecticut State University*	31.34%	40.99%	+9.65%
2.	Marian College (WI)*	33.66	43.10	9.44
3.	Murray State University (KY)*	40.63	49.75	9.12
4.	Concordia University (NE)*	46.29	55.28	8.99
5.	St. Cloud State University (MN)*	35.67	44.26	8.59
6.	Mississippi State University*	42.50	50.86	8.36
7.	Pfeiffer University (NC)*	36.05	44.30	8.25
8.	Illinois State University*	42.74	50.93	8.19
9.	Iowa State University*	45.03	52.69	7.66
10.	University of Mississippi	41.87	49.32	7.45
11.	Smith College (MA)	52.63	60.07	7.44
12.	Rhodes College (TN)	53.76	61.18	7.42
13.	University of Montana*	45.54	52.16	6.62
14.	Idaho State University*	41.76	48.15	6.39
15.	University of Wisconsin	51.57	57.87	6.30
16.	University of Southern Maine*	37.48	43.58	6.10
17.	Harvard University	63.59	69.56	5.97
18.	University of Notre Dame	55.66	61.25	5.59
19.	Mt. Vernon Nazarene Univ. (OH)*	40.04	44.60	4.56
20.	Washington & Lee University	62.46	66.98	4.52
21.	Calvin College (MI)	51.99	56.45	4.46
22.	University of Florida	48.96	53.40	4.44
23.	University of North Carolina	53.26	57.68	4.42
24.	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities*	49.18	53.50	4.32
25.	University of Michigan	46.68	51.00	4.32
26.	University of Washington	51.63	55.88	4.25
27.	Gonzaga University (WA)	47.71	51.86	4.15
28.	University of Rochester (NY)*	55.69	59.32	3.63
29.	Grove City College (PA)	63.64	67.26	3.62
30.	Georgia College and State University*	40.28	43.68	3.40
31.	Bowdoin College (ME)	59.50	62.86	3.36
32.	University of Georgia*	54.48	57.76	3.28
33.	Carnegie Mellon University*	54.06	56.90	2.84
34.	St. Thomas University (FL)*	29.75	32.50	2.75
35.	Texas State University-San Marcos*	41.25	43.99	2.74
36.	Texas A&M International University*	38.43	41.14	2.71
37.	George Mason University (VA)	47.28	49.96	2.68
38.	University of Virginia	62.95	65.28	2.33
39.	Brown University	63.42	65.64	2.22
40.	Wheaton College (IL)	62.87	64.98	2.11
41.	University of Pennsylvania	62.66	63.49	0.83
42.	University of Massachusetts-Amherst*	46.10	46.66	0.56
43.	Oakwood College (AL)*	35.17	34.69	-0.48
44.	University of California-Berkeley	57.03	56.27	-0.76
45.	Rutgers University*	50.93	49.99	-0.94
46.	Princeton University	63.60	61.90	-1.70
47.	St. John’s University (NY)*	41.69	39.82	-1.87
48.	Duke University	65.66	63.41	-2.25
49.	Yale University	68.94	65.85	-3.09
50.	Cornell University	61.90	56.95	-4.95
* Randomly selected school

2006 NATIONWIDE RESULTSAverage Percent Correct by Subject and Class Year
Test Section	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
Overall	50.4%	54.2%	+3.8%*
American History	56.6%	58.8%	+2.2%*
American Political Thought	52.0%	55.2%	+3.2%*
America and the World	46.8%	50.8%	4.0%*
The Market Economy	44.9%	51.1%	6.2%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater across the 50 schools surveyed.

PUBLIC COLLEGES OUT-PERFORMED IVY LEAGUE COLLEGES Average Percent Correct by Alternative Measures of Prestige (2006)
Rank by Value	Classification	Freshman Average	Senior Average	Value Added*
1.	State, Non-Flagship Universities	41.5%	47.4%	+5.9%
2.	Private, Secular, Non-Ivy Universities	56.2	60.1	+3.9
3.	“Public Ivies” or State Flagship Universities	50.7	54.4	+3.7
4.	Catholic Universities	45.2	48.3	+3.1
5.	Protestant Universities	53.8	56.6	+2.8
6.	Ivy-league Universities	64.0	64.1	+0.1
1.	25 universities surveyed by ISI that were ranked lowest by U.S. News & World Report	42.5	47.7	+5.2
2.	25 universities surveyed by ISI that were ranked highest by U.S. News & World Report	57.2	59.5	+2.3
1.	Universities omitted from Barron’s “Most Competitive” listing (35 universities)	45.7	50.3	+4.6
2.	Universities included in Barron’s “Most Competitive” listing (15 universities)	60.8	62.5	+1.7
1.	Least expensive 25 universities (out-of-state cost <$22,500)	43.5	48.7	+5.2
2.	Most expensive 25 universities (out-of-state cost >$22,500)	56.9	59.1	+2.2
1.	25 universities whose students receive lower government subsidies (Average annual subsidy less than $6,100)	45.9	51.6	+5.7
2.	25 universities whose students receive higher government subsidies (Average annual subsidy greater than $6,100)	54.1	56.1	+2.0
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater across the 50 schools surveyed.

COLLEGE RANK BY CIVIC COURSE QUALITY
Rank by Course Quality*	School	Civic Value Added	Mean Courses Taken **	Course Quality (Civic Knowledge Gained per Civic Course)*
Mean		+3.80	4.00	+0.95%*
1.	Concordia University (NE)	9.00	2.42	3.72
2.	Marian College (WI)	9.44	3.24	2.91
3.	St. Cloud State University (MN)	8.59	3.21	2.68
4.	Murray State University (KY)	9.20	3.58	2.57
5.	Eastern Connecticut State University	9.65	3.80	2.54
6.	Mississippi State University	8.36	3.72	2.25
7.	Pfeiffer University (NC)	8.25	3.94	2.09
8.	Iowa State University	7.66	3.71	2.06
9.	University of Mississippi	7.46	3.92	1.90
10.	Illinois State University	8.19	4.34	1.89
11.	Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (OH)	4.56	2.55	1.79
12.	University of Southern Maine	6.11	3.60	1.69
13.	Idaho State University	6.39	3.86	1.66
14.	Smith College (MA)	7.44	4.56	1.63
15.	University of Wisconsin	6.30	3.86	1.63
16.	University of Montana	6.62	4.30	1.54
17.	Rhodes College (TN)	7.42	5.45	1.36
18.	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	4.32	3.17	1.36
19.	University of Washington	4.25	3.15	1.35
20.	University of Florida	4.43	3	1.29
21.	Calvin College (MI)	4.46	3.56	1.25
22.	Grove City College (PA)	3.61	2.96	1.22
23.	Harvard University	5.97	5.06	1.18
24.	University of North Carolina	4.42	3.95	1.12
25.	University of Notre Dame	5.59	5.48	1.02
26.	University of Michigan	4.32	4.41	0.98
27.	Carnegie Mellon University	2.84	2.97	0.96
28.	University of Rochester (NY)	3.63	3.91	0.93
29.	St. Thomas University (FL)	2.75	3.07	0.89
30.	Gonzaga University (WA)	4.16	4.70	0.88
31.	Georgia College and State University	3.40	4.36	0.78
32.	University of Georgia	3.28	4.26	0.77
33.	Texas State University-San Marcos	2.74	4.31	0.64
34.	Wheaton College (IL)	2.12	3.33	0.64
35.	Washington & Lee University (VA)	4.53	7.62	0.59
36.	George Mason University (VA)	2.69	4.54	0.59
37.	Texas A&M International University	2.71	5.16	0.52
38.	University of Virginia	2.33	5.11	0.46
39.	Bowdoin College (ME)	3.36	7.55	0.44
40.	Brown University	2.22	5.01	0.44
41.	University of Pennsylvania	0.84	5.20	0.16
42.	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	0.56	3.57	0.16
43.	University of California-Berkeley	-0.76	3.68	-0.21
44.	Oakwood College (AL)	-0.48	2.00	-0.24
45.	Rutgers University	-0.93	3.40	-0.28
46.	Yale University	-3.09	6.10	-0.51
47.	Duke University	-2.25	3.93	-0.57
48.	St. John’s University	-1.87	2.80	-0.67
49.	Princeton University	-1.70	2.48	-0.68
50.	Cornell University	-4.95	2.74	-1.81
* Civic course quality is estimated by average civic learning at a college divided by the average number of relevant courses taken by students. ** Relevant civic courses taken by seniors surveyed based on the number of history, economics, and political science courses as reported by the students.

TOP 10 THINGS STUDENTS “UNLEARNED” ABOUT AMERICAN HISTORY
Although the average college senior outscored the average college freshman by 3.8 points overall on the American civic literacy exam, seniors were especially less likely than freshmen to correctly answer questions about major themes in American history. Here are the themes of the top 10 history questions that seniors were less likely to answer correctly than freshmen.
Theme	Negative Learning
1. Power of judicial review	-10.47
2. President Washington’s foreign policy	-8.03
3. Monroe Doctrine	-7.75
4. The Federalist Papers	-4.70
5. Settlement of Jamestown	-2.03
6. American Revolutionary War	-1.83
7. War of 1812	-1.56
8. Civil War events	-1.54
9. Thomas Paine and Common Sense	-1.49
10. Reconstruction	-0.89

COMPARATIVE RESULTS FOR REPEAT COLLEGES
	2006 Results				2005 Results
College	2006 Rank	Freshmen	Seniors	Value Added	2005 Rank	Freshmen	Seniors	Value Added
Rhodes College (TN)	1.	53.76%	61.18%	+7.42%	1.	50.63%	62.23%	+11.60%
Harvard University	2.	63.59	69.56	5.97	6.	67.81	69.71	1.90
Washington & Lee University (VA)	3.	62.46	66.98	4.52	10.	63.61	63.85	0.24
Calvin College (MI)	4.	51.99	56.45	4.46	2.	49.52	58.99	9.47
University of Florida	5.	48.96	53.40	4.44	12.	48.55	47.78	-0.77
University of North Carolina	6.	53.26	57.68	4.42	9.	54.83	56.46	1.63
University of Michigan	7.	46.68	51.00	4.32	11.	52.13	52.07	-0.06
University of Washington	8.	51.63	55.88	4.25	8.	48.32	50.13	1.80
Grove City College (PA)	9.	63.64	67.26	3.62	3.	58.98	68.37	9.39
George Mason University (VA)	10.	47.28	49.96	2.68	4.	50.87	55.86	4.99
University of Virginia	11.	62.95	65.28	2.33	13.	63.73	62.66	-1.07
Brown University	12.	63.42	65.64	2.22	16.	62.47	59.84	-2.64
Wheaton College (IL)	13.	62.87	64.98	2.11	7.	59.69	61.64	1.95
University of California-Berkeley	14.	57.03	56.27	-0.76	18.	60.44	54.87	-5.57
Princeton University	15.	63.60	61.90	-1.70	5.	66.03	68.78	2.75
Duke University	16.	65.66	63.41	-2.25	15.	60.59	58.29	-2.29
Yale University	17.	68.94	65.85	-3.09	14.	69.76	68.28	-1.48
Cornell University	18.	61.90	56.95	-4.95	17.	59.39	56.14	-3.25

FAMILY MATTERS
This table shows the relative impact on civic learning associated with five factors related to a student’s family. For example, students from families that frequently discussed current events and history gained 2.32 percentage points more on average than students from families that did not. The values in this table represent the unique impact of each factor on civic learning.
Factor	Gain in Civic Learning
Frequent family discussion of current events/history	+2.32 points
English was primary language	+1.80
Father has at least a bachelor’s degree	+0.96
Mother has at least a bachelor’s degree	+0.76
Parents married and living together	+0.70
These are coefficients from a multiple regression analysis that account for the unique influences of the individual student, family, college characteristics, the community surrounding the college, and the student’s college peers.

CIVIC LEARNING BY RACE AND ETHNICITY
Characteristic	Freshman Average	Senior Average	Value Added
White	51.7%	56.8%	+5.1%*
Minority (Non-White)	47.4%	48.2%	+0.8%
Asian	52.3%	51.3%	-1.0%
Black	41.6%	42.5%	+0.9%
Hispanic	43.8%	45.5%	+1.7%
Multi-racial	49.3%	52.0%	+2.8%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater.

RESULTS FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS ATTENDING AMERICAN COLLEGES Average Percent Correct by Subject and by Cohort
Test Section	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
Overall	43.4%	43.5%	+0.1%
American History	45.4%	42.5%	-2.9%
American Political Thought	43.8%	44.7%	+0.9%
America and the World	41.6%	41.8%	+0.2%
The Market Economy	42.3%	45.4%	+3.1%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater.

RESULTS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP Average Percent Correct by Subject and by Cohort
Test Section	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
Overall	50.9%	55.1%	+4.2%*
American History	57.3%	60.0%	+2.7%*
American Political Thought	52.6%	56.2%	+3.6%*
America and the World	47.2%	51.6%	+4.4%*
The Market Economy	45.3%	51.8%	+6.5%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater.

EXPENSIVE, POORLY PERFORMING COLLEGESThese colleges have a “sticker price” greater than $30,000 but rank among the bottom 10 for civic knowledge gained by students.
College	Sticker Price*	Rank by Civic Added	Civic Value Added
University of Pennsylvania	$34,156	41	+0.83%
Duke University	$33,963	48	-2.25%
Yale University	$33,030	49	-3.09%
Princeton University	$33,000	46	-1.70%
Cornell University	$32,981	50	-4.95%
* 2005 tuition and fees, or out-of-state cost, as reported to The College Board

LESS EXPENSIVE, BETTER PERFORMING COLLEGES These colleges have a “sticker price” less than $15,000 but rank among the top 10 for civic knowledge gained by students.
College	Sticker Price*	Rank by Civic Added	Civic Value Added
University of Mississippi	$10,560	10	+7.45%
Mississippi State University	$10,560	6	+8.36%
St. Cloud State University	$11,673	5	+8.59%
Murray State University	$13,566	3	+9.12%
Eastern Connecticut University	$13,570	1	+9.65%
Illinois State University	$14,730	8	+8.19%
* 2005 tuition and fees, or out-of-state cost, as reported to The College Board

HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED, POORLY PERFORMING COLLEGES
These colleges ranked among the bottom 10 for civic knowledge gained by students, but their students received an above-average total sum in government grants to freshmen (the average was $6,453 across the 50 schools in the survey).
College	Average Total Government Grants to Freshmen	Endowment in Billions	Rank by Value Added	Value Added
Yale University	$11,102	$18.03	49	-3.09%
University of Pennsylvania	$9,666	$5.30	41	+0.83%
Duke University	$8,785	$4.50	48	-2.25%
Rutgers University	$8,231	$0.55	45	-0.94%
Princeton University	$8,215	$13.00	46	-1.70%
Cornell University	$7,524	$4.30	50	-4.95%
St. John's University	$7,386	$0.30	47	-1.87%

LESS SUBSIDIZED, BETTER PERFORMING COLLEGES
These colleges ranked among the top ten for civic knowledge gained by students, and their students received a below-average total sum in government grants to freshmen (the average was $6,453 across the 50 schools in the survey).
College	Average Total Government Grants to Freshmen	Endowment in Billions	Rank by Value Added	Value Added
East Connecticut State University	$3,721	$0.0001	1	+9.65%
Iowa State University	$3,946	$0.102	9	+7.66%
Mississippi State University	$4,225	$0.211	6	+8.36%
Concordia University	$4,250	$0.021	4	+8.99%
St. Cloud State University	$4,264	$0.01	5	+8.59%
University of Mississippi	$4,316	$0.42	10	+7.45%
Murray State University	$4,820	$0.014	3	+9.12%
Pfeiffer University	$4,887	$0.013	7	+8.25%

WELL-PAID PRESIDENTS, POORLY PERFORMING COLLEGES
Among the 50 schools in the ISI survey, these colleges ranked in the top 10 for the salaries they paid their presidents but the bottom 10 for the civic knowledge gained by their students.
College	President's Salary	Mean Faculty Salary	Value Added
University of Pennsylvania	$675,000	$124,167	+0.83%
Cornell University	$630,747	$101,788	-4.95%
Yale University	$618,822	$112,558	-3.09%
Princeton University	$542,875	$121,520	-1.70%
Rutgers University	$525,000	$88,963	-0.94%
Duke University	$500,000	$97,756	-2.25%

LOWER PAID PRESIDENTS, BETTER PERFORMING COLLEGES
Among the 50 schools in the ISI survey, these colleges ranked in the bottom 10 for the salaries they paid their presidents and the top 10 for the civic knowledge gained by their students.
College	President's Salary	Mean Faculty Salary	Value Added
Concordia University	$164,646	$50,343	+8.99%
Marian College	$166,630	$51,638	+9.44%
Pfeiffer University	$186,000	$49,848	+8.25%

STANFORD UNIVERSITY RESULTS FROM SPRING 2007 Average Percent Correct for Freshmen and Seniors
Test Section	Freshman Mean	Senior Mean	Value Added
Overall	66.13%	66.93%	+0.80%
American History	70.07%	69.03%	-1.04%
American Political Thought	69.64%	69.50%	-0.10%
America and the World	63.19%	64.36%	+1.20%
The Market Economy	60.80%	64.59%	+3.80%*
* The difference between the freshman and senior means is statistically significant with confidence of 95% or greater.

STUDENT POPULATION
Population	Number of Schools	Percentage
Total	1,412	100%
Total Public	512	36.3%
Total Private	900	63.7%
<5,000 Students	1,010	71.5%
5,000 To <10,000 Students	201	14.2%
10,000 Or More Students	201	14.2%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

AVERAGE CIVIC LEARNING BY QUESTION (2006 TESTING)±
Each question included was intended to test important knowledge. Working with a distinguished board of professors from around the country and outside reviewers, we identified 60 themes that appear in the first column of the following table. This listing illustrates the range of ideas tested in American history (questions 1–17), American government and political thought (18–31), international affairs (32–47) and the market economy (48–60). The themes consist of basic civic knowledge or concepts, not obscure or arbitrarily selected knowledge.
	Question Theme (*denotes an NAEP question)	Freshman Percent Correct	Senior Percent Correct	Civic Gain Percent	Rank by Gain
1.	Jamestown colony	46.42%	44.39%	-2.03%	54
2.	The Puritan religious tradition	48.54	47.87	-0.67	47
3.	Form of the U.S. government	54.20	57.98	3.78	32
4.	George Washington’s founding role	68.30	74.50	6.20	23
5.	The American Revolutionary War	47.73	45.90	-1.83	53
6.	The inalienable rights enumerated in the Declaration	80.46	85.06	4.60	29
7.	Chronology of major historical events	49.25	47.71	-1.54	51
8.	Origin of the doctrine of separation of church and state	28.07	31.84	3.77	33
9.	Outcome of the War of 1812	35.50	33.94	-1.56	52
10.	The thought of Abraham Lincoln	66.02	68.90	2.88	39
11.	Timing of the Civil War	58.00	61.42	3.42	37
12.	The New Deal	80.62	84.68	4.06	31
13.	Reconstruction*	43.66	42.77	-0.89	49
14.	Women’s suffrage	56.04	58.24	2.20	41
15.	Roe v. Wade	56.77	65.20	8.43	12
16.	Brown v. Board of Education	80.19	84.61	4.42	30
17.	World War II	68.50	70.72	2.22	40
18.	Declaration of Independence	45.26	45.95	0.69	44
19.	Plato’s Republic	18.04	24.67	6.63	19
20.	The concept of representative democracy	72.37	78.63	6.26	22
21.	The Federalist Papers	54.63	49.93	-4.70	57
22.	Concept of the separation of powers	68.42	75.27	6.85	16
23.	Marbury v. Madison	52.14	41.67	-10.47	60
24.	Federalism defined	45.93	43.76	-2.17	55
25.	Common law	45.97	56.79	10.82	4
26.	John Locke and the Declaration of Independence	72.17	72.06	-0.11	46
27.	Founders’ understanding of moral and political knowledge	56.57	62.69	6.12	24
28.	Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.	79.93	85.74	5.81	26
29.	Classical thought and relativism	40.52	51.12	10.60	5
30.	The Bill of Rights	45.85	48.01	2.16	42
31.	The nature of society	36.78	43.61	6.83	17
32.	Thomas Paine and Common Sense	71.12	69.63	-1.49	50
33.	Enumerated powers	29.28	29.32	0.04	45
34.	President Washington’s foreign policy	44.65	36.62	-8.03	59
35.	Monroe Doctrine	29.94	22.19	-7.75	58
36.	Traditional just war criteria	15.83	19.34	3.51	35
37.	NATO	39.15	42.66	3.51	36
38.	Alternative forms of government	42.43	49.16	6.73	18
39.	Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America)	41.36	47.69	6.33	21
40.	The United Nations	61.70	68.10	6.40	20
41.	The Cold War and the USSR	76.11	84.79	8.68	10
42.	The Kennedy Administration	51.77	57.73	5.96	25
43.	Concept of balance of power	47.98	55.31	7.33	14
44.	The Vietnam War*	43.44	47.11	3.67	34
45.	The Cold War	76.34	81.30	4.96	28
46.	Saddam Hussein	29.68	40.12	10.44	7
47.	Persian Gulf War 1991	53.92	68.40	14.48	1
48.	Inflation and the value of money	56.03	68.55	12.52	2
49.	Free enterprise defined	61.29	68.75	7.46	13
50.	Source of market prosperity	30.98	37.84	6.86	15
51.	Gross Domestic Product (GDP)*	67.64	77.70	10.06	8
52.	Definition of business profit	61.19	70.05	8.86	9
53.	Concept of a public good	36.10	44.65	8.55	11
54.	Keynesian economic thought and policy	32.47	35.61	3.14	38
55.	Income distribution in America	24.73	25.45	0.72	43
56.	Gains from trade*	63.35	73.90	10.55	6
57.	Law of demand*	54.33	59.67	5.34	27
58.	Monetary policy*	24.53	23.84	-0.69	48
59.	Tax policy	53.23	64.95	11.72	3
60.	Federal budget	24.04	20.82	-3.22	56
±Learning equals average percent correct among seniors minus that for freshmen.

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[So Cal Rocket]

Take the quiz here:

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org./resources/quiz.aspx

I scored 88%... and a couple of the answers I got wrong were silly mistakes on my part... I would suspect that most FReepers would score a C+ or better.

[SirLinksalot]

I got 93% (56 of 60), I got the wrong answers on the following :

Question #5
Question #7
Question #23
Question #27

I went to college in the 1980’s ( HINT: NOT AN IVY LEAGUE UNIVERSITY ).

[twigs]

I missed one more than you and received a 91.67. I got tripped up in the economics section. This was not an easy test. I must say that I would not have done as well when I graduated as the students of my alma mater did. Most of my knowledge has come from personal, post-graduate reading.

[seowulf]

I would suspect that most FReepers would score a C+ or better.

I think you underestimate Freepers.

55 out of 60 for me, and I'm no Ivy Leaguer either.

[eyedigress]

but their overall average was 69.6%, a disappointing D+.

I seem to recall anything below 75 an F, 75-80 = D, 80-90 = C, 90-95 = B and 95-100 = A. When did this change?

[Antoninus]

Failing Our Students, Failing America: Holding Colleges Accountable for Teaching America’s History and Institutions asks: Is American higher education doing its duty to prepare the next generation to maintain our legacy of liberty?

Of course they aren't. And don't think for a second it's not by design. They aim to create a nation of helpless, dependent, mentally addled, hedonistic cretins that MUST have government running their lives just to survive.

[Antoninus]

Dag, I got 95%. And I know for a fact that there are folks much smarter than me here on FR.

Sadly, I learned much of what I know about the US history and government from one professor in highschool. Without him, you could probably knock off 20% from my score.

[Reagan79]

I scored the same as you 56 out of 60

[SirLinksalot]

Most of my knowledge has come from personal, post-graduate reading.

The implied question is this -- why were you not required to know them as a college Senior ?

[SirLinksalot]

I seem to recall anything below 75 an F, 75-80 = D, 80-90 = C, 90-95 = B and 95-100 = A. When did this change?

I was informed by a friend's son who goes to Cornell that getting a high grade in most liberal arts courses is a breeze. I suspect grade inflation is rampant in many of these schools.

[twigs]

First of all, there were basically no core requirements except two years of a foreign language, a writing course and 6 hours of a science or math. Then I transferred to the School of Architecture. I took no history at all. I entered college in 1972 and I attended UVA.

[ProCivitas]

I.S.I. is excellent.

[twigs]

That was my scale of grades in high school. When I went to college in 1972, it changed to 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, and I’m a bit fuzzy on the rest. Either 65-69=D or 60-69=D. I don’t remember the F. Today, I believe it dips into the 50’s.

[ProCivitas]

I’d bet that Hillsdale College students in Michigan would have done markedly better than this bunch.