subject: College Completion, In Numbers [print this page] College Completion, In Numbers College Completion, In Numbers
A report recently released by the U.S. Department of Education found that only about half of students who entered college from 2003 to 2004 had earned a degree or certificate by the summer of 2009- six years later. Ground schools across the country and online schools face low completion rates, and the issue does not seem to be improving. These numbers are similar to the results of a study conducted about 10 years prior, which analyzed the degree completion rates of students who began college from 1995 to 1996.
Thirty-one percent of students included in the survey sample earned a bachelor's degree and 9 percent earned an associate's degree within the six year time period. An additional 9 percent of students earned a professional certificate. Out of all the students who had not earned a degree, 15 percent are still enrolled in school. The remaining 36 percent of students are no longer pursuing any type of higher education.
The report, entitled "Persistence and Attainment of 2003-04 Beginning Postsecondary Students: After 6 Years," examines several different factors like age, family income and race, in addition what kind of institutions students attended and how they fared. Results show that these denominators do play a role in a student's level of completion, and also speak to the fact that "many of today's students swirl' among institutions." About 27 percent of students involved transferred from their initial school, and 28 percent had left without enrolling at another location.
Of students enrolled at public colleges in two-year programs, 14 percent earned an associates degree and 9 percent earned a certificate. About 12 percent of students pursued a higher degree. Of those enrolled in four-year programs, 58 percent earned a bachelor's degree, 5 percent an associate degree and 2 percent a certificate.
