The Good Soil Study ▸
ACCS alumni and private prep school alumni were the most prepared.
An Alumni Story: Climbing Hills to Tackle Mountains ▸
Two groups make a strong showing in the “Prepared for College & Career” category: ACCS and Private Preparatory schools. Many people view classical Christian education as a type of preparatory school. This is not the primary mission of most classical Christian schools. However, ACCS schools do emphasize academic excellence, strong outcomes in verbal and quantitative reasoning, and a comprehensive and integrated curriculum. These prepare students for college better than any other type of school.
Blue bars are actual data. The red bars reflect the school’s effect, isolated from other family factors.
Almost 55% of ACCS alumni earned A’s or mostly A’s in college. The next highest group, homeschoolers, reported 45%. Why do homeschool students report the lowest on this scale overall? One key factor is college completion. While nearly 90% of ACCS alumni earn a BA or higher, and about 75% of prep, Catholic, and evangelical alumni hold BA’s or higher, only around 45% of homeschool alumni have completed their degrees. Homeschoolers also felt less prepared for college than students from similar family profiles in prep and Catholic schools. Keep in mind that homeschools are not as homogeneous as either ACCS or prep schools when it comes to consistent outcomes. Many homeschoolers probably defy this trend. We believe evangelical schools, Catholic schools, and public schools are less homogeneous as well. So, individual outcomes may vary greatly by school.
Beyond this survey, the ACCS has for years tracked college admissions and SAT scores for its alumni. ACCS students score among the highest in the nation on standardized tests and enter some of the best colleges in disproportionately high numbers. This survey reinforces what other research had indicated.
