The Scandal in College Graduation Rates

When I give college presentations at high schools here in Southern California, there is one moment that always elicits a loud, collective gasp. It's when I tell them the four-year graduation rate at San Diego State University: a measly 17.4 percent.
I'm not trying to pick on San Diego State, which happens to be a wildly popular school. I mention it because the college's troubles graduating students in four years is not uncommon, especially among state schools. And parents need to know this before they write their first tuition check.

According to a study by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute, only 28 percent of students attending public universities graduate in four years. The figure soars to 58 percent with a six-year time period.

What I find scandalous is that the higher-ed world seems to be in cahoots with schools to keep puny four-year grad rates a secret. If you look at college publications from U.S. News & World Report, Fiske Guides, and The Princeton Review, you will only find six-year graduation rates.

Luckily, a great free resource, the Education Trust's College Results Online database, reveals four-year graduation rates at any college. You'll also be able to compare the rates -- good or bad -- with similar schools across the country.

I'll have more to say about grad rates in my next post.