The Graduate School at Penn State

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BGC Program Metrics

Biogeochemistry (BGC)
University Park
Earth and Mineral Sciences


Biogeochemistry – Average GRE Scores for New Enrollees*

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Analytical (P) † - - - - - - - - - TBD -
Verbal (P) † c c c - c c c - - TBD -
Quantitative (P) † c c c - c c c - - TBD -
Analyt Writing (P) † c c c - c c c - - TBD -
MS 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Analytical (P) † - - - - - - - - - -
Verbal (P) † - - - - - - - c - -
Quantitative (P) † - - - - - - - c - -
Analyt Writing (P) † - - - - - - - c - -

*GRE tests taken on or after August 1st, 2011 are scored according the following scale:
    Verbal Reasoning: 130 - 170, 1 point increments
    Quantitative Reasoning: 130 - 170, 1 point increments
    Analytical Writing: 0 - 6, half point increments
  For tests taken prior to August 1st, 2011, scores were converted to the new scale accordingly.
†P = Percentile Ranking
c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0


Biogeochemistry – Jr/Sr GPA for New Enrollees

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
GPA - - c - c c c - c TBD -
MS 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
GPA - - - - - - - c - -

c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0


Biogeochemistry – Demographics for New Enrollees

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Total New Enrl 1 1 3 - 3 2 1 - 1 TBD
Domestic c c c - c c c - c TBD
  Total URM * c c c - c c c - c TBD
    Black/Afr. Amer. c c c - c c c - c TBD
    Am. Ind./AK Native c c c - c c c - c TBD
    Hawaiian/Pac. Is. c c c - c c c - c TBD
    Hispanic/Latino c c c - c c c - c TBD
  Asian c c c - c c c - c TBD
  White c c c - c c c - c TBD
  Two or More † c c c - c c c - c TBD
  Unknown ‡ c c c - c c c - c TBD
International c c c - c c c - c TBD
MS 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Total New Enrl - - - - - - - 1 - TBD
Domestic - - - - - - - c - TBD
  Total URM * - - - - - - - c - TBD
    Black/Afr. Amer. - - - - - - - c - TBD
    Am. Ind./AK Native - - - - - - - c - TBD
    Hawaiian/Pac. Is. - - - - - - - c - TBD
    Hispanic/Latino - - - - - - - c - TBD
  Asian - - - - - - - c - TBD
  White - - - - - - - c - TBD
  Two or More † - - - - - - - c - TBD
  Unknown ‡ - - - - - - - c - TBD
International - - - - - - - c - TBD

*URM: Underrepresented Minorities
†Two or More: Applicant selected more than one race/ethnicity.
‡Unknown: Applicant chose not to disclose race/ethnicity information.
c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Female c c c - c c c - c 18 (67%)
Male c c c - c c c - c 9 (33%)
Nonbinary or other legal identity c c c - c c c - c -
Total 1 1 3 - 3 2 1 - 1 27
MS 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Female - - - - - - - c - -
Male - - - - - - - c - -
Nonbinary or other legal identity - - - - - - - c - -
Total - - - - - - - 1 - -

c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0


Biogeochemistry – Total Enrollments by Demographic

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Total Enrl 16 12 14 15 16 20 21 22 25 27
Domestic 13 (81%) 10 (83%) 11 (79%) 12 (80%) 12 (75%) 16 (80%) 15 (71%) 17 (77%) 21 (84%) 23 (85%)
  Total URM * - - - - - - - - 1 (4%) 2 (7%)
    Black/Afr. Amer. - - - - - - - - - -
    Am. Ind./AK Native - - - - - - - - - -
    Hawaiian/Pac. Is. - - - - - - - - - -
    Hispanic/Latino - - - - - - - -   1 (4%)   2 (7%)
  Asian - 1 (8%) - - 1 (6%) 1 (5%) 1 (5%) 1 (5%) 2 (8%) 1 (4%)
  White 12 (75%) 9 (75%) 11 (79%) 11 (73%) 10 (63%) 13 (65%) 11 (52%) 13 (59%) 14 (56%) 16 (59%)
  Two or More † 1 (6%) - - 1 (7%) 1 (6%) 2 (10%) 3 (14%) 3 (14%) 4 (16%) 4 (15%)
  Unknown ‡ - - - - - - - - - -
International 3 (19%) 2 (17%) 3 (21%) 3 (20%) 4 (25%) 4 (20%) 6 (29%) 5 (23%) 4 (16%) 4 (15%)
MS 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Total Enrl - - - - - - - 1 - -
Domestic - - - - - - - c - -
  Total URM * - - - - - - - c - -
    Black/Afr. Amer. - - - - - - - c - -
    Am. Ind./AK Native - - - - - - - c - -
    Hawaiian/Pac. Is. - - - - - - - c - -
    Hispanic/Latino - - - - - - - c - -
  Asian - - - - - - - c - -
  White - - - - - - - c - -
  Two or More † - - - - - - - c - -
  Unknown ‡ - - - - - - - c - -
International - - - - - - - c - -

*URM: Underrepresented Minorities
†Two or More: Applicant selected more than one race/ethnicity.
‡Unknown: Applicant chose not to disclose race/ethnicity information.
c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Female 12 (75%) 9 (75%) 8 (57%) 9 (60%) 9 (56%) 13 (65%) 14 (67%) 12 (55%) 18 (72%) 18 (67%)
Male 4 (25%) 3 (25%) 6 (43%) 6 (40%) 7 (44%) 7 (35%) 7 (33%) 10 (45%) 7 (28%) 9 (33%)
Nonbinary or other legal identity - - - - - - - - - -
Total 16 12 14 15 16 20 21 22 25 27
MS 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Female - - - - - - - c - -
Male - - - - - - - c - -
Nonbinary or other legal identity - - - - - - - c - -
Total - - - - - - - 1 - -

c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0


Biogeochemistry – Total Degrees Conferred by Degree

Total 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
PHD 5 4 2 3 - 2 5 5 2 2 -

"-" indicates n=0

Please note that 2024/25 Median Time To Degree values are being recalculated and should be published here soon.

Biogeochemistry – Median Time to Degree (years)

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
In Major/Degree * 4.3 5.7 6.2 4.3 4.6 6 3.9 4.6 4.8
First Enrollment † 5.4 6.2 7.3 4.3 7 9 3.9 4.6 4.8
Number (n) n=5 n=4 n=2 n=3 n=1 n=2 n=5 n=5 n=2

*In Major/Degree: For Dual-Title programs, the median time to degree in the base major and degree at Penn State.
†First Enrollment: The median time to degree based on the first enrollment as a graduate student at Penn State.


Biogeochemistry – Degree Completion, UP Campus

PHD #Started 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years Total Completed % Completed
2015/16 Cohort 1 - - - - 1 - - - - 1 100%
2016/17 Cohort 5 - - - - 2 1 - - 3 60%
2017/18 Cohort 6 - - - 1 3 1 - 5 83%
2018/19 Cohort 2 - - - - 1 - 1 50%
2019/20 Cohort 4 - - 1 - - 1 25%
2020/21 Cohort 8 - - - - - -
2021/22 Cohort 3 - - - - -
2022/23 Cohort 7 - - - -
2023/24 Cohort 1 - - -
2024/25 Cohort -
MS #Started 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years Total Completed % Completed
2015/16 Cohort - - - - - - - - - - - -
2016/17 Cohort - - - - - - - - - - -
2017/18 Cohort - - - - - - - - - -
2018/19 Cohort - - - - - - - - -
2019/20 Cohort - - - - - - - -
2020/21 Cohort - - - - - - -
2021/22 Cohort - - - - - -
2022/23 Cohort 1 - - - -
2023/24 Cohort - - - -
2024/25 Cohort -

"-" indicates n=0

Logic for Program Review Metrics

(Last updated 10/16/2025)