What’s a graduation rate and why does it matter?
Summary: Some colleges have more students graduate in four years than others. Find out why it matters.
Time to read: 1 minute, 25 seconds
Who this is for: Juniors, Seniors and Parents
Throughout this site, you’ll see the message that it’s very important for a student’s financial well-being to graduate in four years. After all, the more years you spend in college, the more years you’ll have to pay for – and the more you might have to pay in loans, as well.
Yet in terms of helping students graduate in four years, some colleges have a better record than others.
So, when you’re talking with the admissions people at the different schools you’re considering, why not ask questions like these:
- What percentage of your students graduate in 4 years? The number should be between 60% and 100%. If it’s lower than that, ask what they are doing about it.
- What percentage of your students don’t graduate at all? This number should be no greater than 10%. If it’s more than that, ask what they are doing about improving that percentage.
- What percentage of your senior class is employed after graduation? The idea behind this question is to get a sense of how well the college or university prepares students to get a job after they earn their bachelor’s degree.
A note: Keep in mind that some of the statistics you hear in response may or may not be accurate, or may be weighted in a certain direction. Even so, these are good questions to ask, if only for the insights they may provide on the way a college encourages its students to graduate in four years.
Some colleges have more students graduate in four years than others. Find out why it matters.