No student starts college expecting to NOT graduate; yet the most recent statistics indicate the college completion rate is 55% within 6 years of enrolling full time in a 4 year college. So, what does make for success in college, including a timely (and actual) graduation?
For prospective college students and their parents, ask colleges numbers of students who return from one year to the next. (All colleges collect this data) Higher percentages can give prospective students and their parents insight to the type of support, both academic and socially, they can expect for a successful college career. Students can ask more informed questions during campus visits or admissions interviews about support services, in making decisions about where to apply.
Social connections to professors and fellow students help individuals weather the challenges and not only return to campus the next year, but flourish. We can all recall that one meeting with a teacher or professor that opened our minds to some new idea, or that late night heart-to-heart conversation in the dorms. College alumni associations thrive on these memories; why wouldn’t college students in the middle of creating them realize success?
With the cost of college continuing to increase, thinking through HOW a student will sustain themselves in their 4 year (or more) investment is only prudent.
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Jill Yoshikawa, Ed M, is a University of California and Harvard trained educator and Partner at Creative Marbles Consultancy. She advises families and schools, as they make complex educational choices. You can contact Jill at [email protected] or, read her short biography.
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GRADUATION RATE SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). The Condition of Education 2011 (NCES 2011-033), Indicator 23.
