The end of the semester always strikes up anxiety about making sure you take the right classes next semester. And when your time comes to sign up for classes, you’d sacrifice an arm and a leg to get your ideal schedule. If you don’t, it’s back to the drawing board where you’ll probably have to take unnecessary electives with the teacher who has a 2.0 or lower rating on RateMyProfessors.com. Eventually, those electives add to up to an extra semester or even an extra year in college. And we all know what that means! More debt!
A new study from Indianapolis-based nonprofit group Complete College America reported a staggering amount of students who don’t graduate on time. Titled “The Four-Year Myth,” the study explored the length of time it has taken to graduate from public universities in the United States and reasons for this time lasting longer than usual. For those not currently enrolled in college, the findings will surprise anyone expecting a traditional, four-year experience and anyone who already one. However, current college students will find no surprises whether it’s their own degree being extended or a friend’s.
Only about 19% of students seeking a bachelor’s degree from a public university finished “on time.” Even more selective schools, often referred to as “flagship universities” such as Berkeley or Penn State, only saw 36% of their undergrads graduating within four years. With tuitions constantly on the rise, these statistics mean it’s pay-day for universities and ramen day for their students. The situation grows even worse at community colleges where only 5% of students seeking an associate degree did so in two years.
With these prominent numbers, future classes might see college as a six-year commitment as experts on education policy use this number more often than four. And they have good reason to change their way of thinking as, according to the study, only 50 of the approximately 580 public four-year institutions see the majority of their full-time students graduate on time. CCA attributes all of these findings to several factors that students have been complaining to their schools for years already. Small class sizes, uncooperative time slots, non-transferable credits (60% of undergrad students change colleges), and an inadequate amount of credits taken per semester.
So not only are these degrees becoming less valuable yet somehow no less required, they’re also becoming more time (and money) consuming than ever before. If the expected time to finish increases to six years, students will soon approach 24 years old when they graduate. Basically, the mid 20s when they are supposed to already be in the labor force and working towards their career goals. Just let that sink in. And make sure to bring statistics like this up next time a Baby Boomer accuses you of being too cynical or unreasonably stressed.
