Goal #1
Exceptional Student Experience

Photograph of professor and student working together in classroom

We Will

Deliver rigorous, robust, and relevant academic programs as the foundation of the Auburn Experience, which will position all graduates for lifelong professional success while preparing them to lead purposeful lives and make significant contributions to society.

  • Increase the quality and profile of all academic programs as reflected by high rankings, strong reputation, and competitive demand for Auburn graduates among prospective employers.

  • Provide students with the opportunities to take courses that advance their academic, professional, and personal goals within their chosen fields of study and through a distinctive and adaptive Core Curriculum.

  • Cultivate holistic student experiences that foster a multi-disciplinary mindset and build a foundation for life-long learning and societal contributions.

Attract, hire, mentor, reward, and retain world-class educators who contribute to the Auburn Experience by inspiring students through an appropriate combination of substantive and practical knowledge, employing the most effective pedagogies, and utilizing technologies that enhance learning.

  • Strategically recruit faculty to deliver, elevate, and sustain Auburn’s mission of student-centered education.

  • Make Auburn a destination of choice for accomplished faculty through strategic resource allocation that supports competitive compensation packages and relevant support for hiring initiatives.

  • Improve faculty retention and career advancement through robust endowments, competitive compensation, rewards and recognition, professional development, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.

  • Empower faculty to deliver effective curricula by providing resources that promote exceptional instruction through pedagogical advancements and meaningful advising.

  • Embrace a portfolio approach to faculty composition, whereby individual faculty talents and strengths are capitalized upon and rewarded, empowering faculty to maximize their contributions to Auburn’s mission.

Provide an extensive array of high-quality student success services and programs that are signature contributors to the Auburn Experience.

  • Commit to proactive and consistent academic advising and professional mentoring for all students to support optimal levels of academic progression, retention, and achievement.

  • Deliver high-quality, comprehensive career development programming to all students that complements their education and leads to successful first destinations and lifelong career outcomes.

  • Engage in effective approaches to student health and well-being by strengthening social connections, physical wellness, mental health support, and other resources.

Emphasize that every student creates their own distinct Auburn Experience through participation in high-impact practices such as internships, cooperative education, research, student and professional organizations, programs of study beyond and study abroad, leadership, social impact projects, and service learning.

  • Ensure all students complete at least one high-impact practice by supporting, investing in, and growing opportunities.

  • Capitalize on existing and develop new partnerships with public and private entities to create opportunities for students to engage in experiences that support their academic outcomes and career success.

  • Grow opportunities for students to develop a global mindset through national and international experiences, such as study abroad, exchange programs, exposure to international scholars/students, and other similar experiences.

Offer a vibrant campus culture characterized by abundant and engaging student life programs, on- and off-campus experiences, intercollegiate athletics, and co- and extra-curricular activities to complement the Auburn Experience.

  • Foster an exceptional, well-rounded student experience characterized by strong academic programs and high levels of participation in campus leadership, activities, and athletic and social events.

  • Focus on creating and sustaining a campus environment where every student feels welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.

  • Provide students with high-quality academic and co-curricular facilities that encourage connections to campus and help define an overarching Auburn Experience.

  • Solidify a lifelong commitment to Auburn while students are enrolled and as they transition to becoming alumni.

Make the Auburn Experience accessible to exceptional graduate and undergraduate students from the state, the nation, and the world by strategically recruiting, enrolling, retaining, and graduating students who demonstrate high levels of academic achievement and other indicators of ability.

  • Revise and enhance our undergraduate and graduate enrollment management framework to develop a comprehensive and transparent enrollment plan that aligns with Auburn’s mission, especially in disciplines that address state, regional, and national priorities.

  • Enhance access for Alabama’s students to pursue an undergraduate Auburn education by focusing on affordability, retention, success, and social mobility while doubling strategic recruitment efforts for talented and deserving individuals.

  • Develop innovative recruitment, enrollment, and engagement strategies for new graduate students that position Auburn as a destination of choice for post-graduate education.

  • Provide an exemplary academic and research experience by offering graduate students competitive financial packages and enhanced professional development and mentorship.

  • Increase investments in merit and need-based financial support, including additional scholarships, that provide competitive financial aid packages that support access to the university’s academic, professional, and social experiences.

  • Work with various entities to help coordinate a variety of student housing options for Auburn University students.

  • Strengthen existing and create new pathway programs to bring exceptional graduate and undergraduate students from the state, country, and the world to Auburn.

  • Enhance enrollment marketing efforts to be highly responsive and multi-channel, creating a personalized, proactive, and tailored recruiting experience.

Goal #1: Exceptional Student Experience

*Swipe to view full KPI*

Key Performance Indicators I E N NM 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27
Institutional Reputation and Rankings
US News and World Report - Best Colleges Ranking 99 97 93
The Times Higher Education Ranking (International) 601-800 601-800 501-600
QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Ranking (International) -- 1061 835
Number of Academic Programs Ranked or Considered Top Tier -- -- --
Named Faculty Awards (Professorships) -- -- 267
First Destination Success - Undergraduate* 84.5% 84.7% TBD
First Destination Success - Graduate* -- 91.1% TBD
Six-Year Graduation Rate 81% 79% TBD
First-Year Retention Rate (First-Time Freshmen) 92% 93% TBD
Number of National Prestigious Scholars Awarded 13 7 11
Undergraduate Degree Recipients Completing a High-Impact Practice
Community-Engaged Course 86% 88% 90%
Internship 48% 52% 67%
Auburn Abroad 7% 8% 14%
Co-Op 6% 4% 3%
Undergraduate Research 18% 19% 17%
Leadership -- -- --
Number of Students Involved in One or More Student Organizations 19,043 20,164 21,249
Number of Active Student Organizations 629 639 587
Students Receiving Scholarships or Grant Aid
Merit-Based 20% 20% TBD
Need-Based 16% 16% TBD
Student Enrollment in Pathway Programs
Auburn First 737 1,067 1,239
Path to the Plains 37 62 147
Average Federal Indebtedness of Graduates $20,468 $19,965 $19,838
Completion of Core Curriculum Review (Ongoing)
Completion of Faculty Handbook Review (Ongoing)

*Measures job placement, graduate and professional school admission, etc., six months post-graduation

I = Internal Metric

E = External Metric

N = National Metric

NM = New Metric