Why Your Child Won't Graduate From College in Four Years

Think your child is going to graduate from college in four years?
Guess again. Students who earn their bachelor's degree in four years are in the minority. In fact, half of college students can't even graduate in six years!

The grim news comes from the latest graduation rate study from the U.S. Department of Education.

According to the report, about half of students who started college in 2003, had managed to graduate within six years. Another 15% were still attending college and more than a third had dropped out.

The figures were a bit brighter for those who started at four-year colleges and universities. Fifty eight percent of these students graduated within six years.

It's infuriating that the periodic federal reports on graduation outcomes don't include four-year graduation rates. I have never met any parents who want their children to linger in college for five or six years or longer.

Before your child commits to any college, check out its four-year grad rate. You can find this important figure at The Education Trust's College Results Online.

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Lynn O'Shaughnessy

View all articles by Lynn O'Shaughnessy on CBS MoneyWatch»
Lynn O'Shaughnessy is a best-selling author, consultant and speaker on issues that parents with college-bound teenagers face. She explains how families can make college more affordable through her website TheCollegeSolution.com; her financial workbook, Shrinking the Cost of College; and the new second edition of her Amazon best-selling book, The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price.

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