Level of Academic Challenge
2010 Benchmark Item
Challenging intellectual and creative work is central to student learning and collegiate quality. Colleges and universities promote high levels of student achievement by emphasizing the importance of academic effort and setting high expectations for student performance.
| Item | Results | |
| Mercer | Carnegie Peers | |
| Spent 16 hours or more preparing for class (reading, studying, work problems, etc.) | 48% | 37% |
| Have 5 or more assigned textbooks, books, or book-length packs of course readings | 80% | 75% |
| Wrote 5 or more papers or reports of 20 pages or more | 9% | 9% |
| Wrote 5 or more papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages | 48% | 39% |
| Wrote 5 or more papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages | 59% | 62% |
| Coursework emphasizes: Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory quite a bit or very much | 87% | 83% |
| Coursework emphasizes: Synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences quite a bit or very much | 80% | 73% |
| Coursework emphasizes: Making judgments about the value of information, arguments, or methods quite a bit or very much | 76% | 73% |
| Coursework emphasizes: Applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations quite a bit or very much | 82% | 79% |
| Worked harder than you thought you could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations often or very often | 68% | 63% |
| Campus environment emphasizes spending significant amounts of time studying and/or on academic work quite a bit or very much | 90% | 81% |