Key Performance Indicators

The Ontario colleges’ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were developed collaboratively by the ministry, Colleges Ontario and student associations in response to the Ontario Provincial Auditor’s 1996 recommendations for outcomes-based accountability measures for public investment in college education. Data collection on graduate outcomes and satisfaction, student satisfaction, and employer satisfaction began in 1998-1999.

There are four main KPIs for Ontario’s colleges:

1. The Graduation Rate is based on tracking individual students who entered a program of instruction in a particular enrolment reporting period and assessing how many of those individuals completed the program a number of years later. The program duration used to establish a student's program completion time frame equals approximately 200 per cent of the normal program duration with the exception of applied degrees where a seven-year completion period is used.
2. The Graduate Satisfaction Rate is determined from the percentage of graduates who are very satisfied / satisfied with the usefulness of their college education in achieving their goals after graduation.
3. The Graduate Employment Rate is the percentage of graduates who are working full or part time within 6 months of graduation. It excludes those who are in school full time, or are not actively looking for work.
4. The Employer Satisfaction Rate is determined from the employers’ overall satisfaction with their employees “college preparation for the type of work he/she is doing” in an employer survey. The employers’ contact information is supplied by the graduates and the employer is then surveyed.

Graduates and employers are surveyed six months after student graduation through telephone surveys. Student graduation rates are calculated by the colleges.

Sheridan's KPI results

Note: The documents below are in PDF format.