Six Years is the New Four, Students Sadly Find Out

“What is your four-year graduation rate?” This may be one of the most important questions that college-bound students and their parents can ask when considering a potential college.  An article in Money magazine stated, “the failure to graduate students in four years has become so commonplace that schools are now showing you their six-year graduation rate.” Unfortunately, that fact often is not very evident.

The “Best Colleges” Guide by U.S. News & World Report, considered a top resource of college information, lists the graduation rate as one of its key criteria in ranking hundreds of colleges and universities.  Readers may assume it indicates a four-year graduation rate. But buried on page 62 is a sentence indicating that it is actually a six-year graduation rate.

A government website that provides a gamut of extremely helpful information to college-bound students is www.collegescorecard.ed.gov One category offers the graduation rate at any U.S. college or university.  But if you look carefully you will find that it is an eight-year graduation rate. Students and parents who are budgeting for a college diploma need to know, in advance, whether to multiply the annual cost of attendance (including tuition, room, board, books and fees) by four or six or even eight.

Sometimes there’s a good reason for students to take additional years to earn a diploma.  Perhaps they switched majors and many of their credits did not carry over to their new course of study. On the other hand, perhaps it was out of their control.  Maybe some of their required courses were not readily available, requiring a longer than expected college stay in order to meet graduation requirements. 

Of course, there are still some universities that boast impressive four-year graduation rates including five that report 90% or higher for their undergraduate student body: Washington and Lee University, U.S. Naval Academy, University of Notre Dame, Davidson College and Williams College.

Another enlightening question that students and parents should ask is, “How many of your graduates are either employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation?” Every college and university is required by law to keep these statistics and make them available. 

Prospective students should also ask colleges whether on-campus housing is guaranteed for four years, or whether upper classmen need to seek housing off-campus.  They should also inquire about food options, especially if they have dietary restrictions or preferences, such as vegan, gluten-free or kosher. 

If students are hoping to participate in a particular program (such as study abroad in a preferred country), or a favorite sport, they should inquire about the likelihood of being able to do so at any college under consideration.

Asking the right questions can be crucial to making an educated decision on the next step of one’s academic journey.

Susan Alaimo is the founder of SAT Smart. For the past 25 years, SAT Smart’s Ivy League educated tutors have prepared students for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, AP courses, and all high school subjects. Visit www.SATsmart.com or call 908-369-5362.