Canton inc magazine dec 2013 issue

Describe your average student; in other words, what does our future workforce look like?

The University of Mount Union is a primarily residential institution, with 78 percent of students living on campus, and serves the educational needs of traditional college students typically aged 18 to 22. Our increasingly-diverse student community includes students from 30 states and 16 countries — 13 percent of whom are American students of color and 4 percent of whom are international students. From a gender standpoint, the student body is 50 percent men and 50 percent women.

Academically, our students are interested in an array of fields. Our top five majors include exercise science, early childhood education, psychology, biology and criminal justice. Our entering students’ average high school GPA is 3.2 and the mid-50 percent band on the ACT composite is 20-25, which is higher than the national average. The mid-50 percent band is the range of scores from the 25th to 75th percentiles.

About 98 percent of undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid, and more than 87 percent receive need-based aid. Our average aid package of $20,597 demonstrates Mount Union’s commitment to affordability. The university also offers nearly $26 million in grants and scholarships each year, ranging from $1,000 awards to competitive full-tuition scholarships.

Our students are focused on their futures after graduation and are actively involved in student organizations, athletics and wellness, leadership opportunities, internships and research as a means of enhancing their educational experiences. Their drive, in combination with our focus on providing a solid liberal arts foundation and hands-on, practical preparation, leads to success. In fact, among members of the 2012 graduating class, 98 percent of those self-reporting started a degree-required career or were accepted to graduate school, all in an average of 20 days after graduation.

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