“What is your four-year graduation rate?”
This may be one of the most important questions that college-bound students and their parents can ask when considering a potential college. A recent Money article reported that six years is now the new four, stating “the failure to graduate students in four years has become so commonplace that schools are now showing you their six-year graduation rate.”
Sometimes there’s a good reason for students to take six years to earn a diploma. Perhaps they switched majors and many of their credits did not carry over to their new course of study. On the other hand, perhaps it was out of their control. Maybe some of their required courses were not readily available, requiring a longer than expected college stay in order to meet graduation requirements. Either way, students and parents who are budgeting for a college diploma need to know, in advance, whether to multiply the annual cost of attendance (including tuition, room, board, books and fees) by four or by six.
Many of the most prestigious national universities do have impressive four-year graduation rates. Georgetown boasts 90 percent, Princeton 89 percent, and Columbia, Duke and Harvard are all at 86 percent, according to statistics from U.S. News and World Report.
Other than Princeton University, the only New Jersey colleges or universities with four-year graduation rates above 50 percent are: The College of New Jersey (75 percent), Ramapo College of New Jersey (61 percent), Rutgers University – New Brunswick (59 percent), Rider University (58 percent), Drew University (57 percent), Monmouth University (55 percent) and Seton Hall University (54 percent).
Another enlightening question that students and parents should ask of college administrators at any school under consideration is, “how many of your graduates are either employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation and/or within a year?” Every college and university is required by law to keep these statistics and make them available.
Prospective students should also ask colleges whether on-campus housing is guaranteed for four years, or whether upper classmen need to seek housing off-campus. They should also inquire about food options, especially if they have dietary restrictions, to find out if there would be a large selection of healthy options for their culinary needs and preferences.
If students are hoping to participate in a particular program (such as study abroad in a preferred country), or a favorite sport, they should inquire about the likelihood of being able to do so at any college under consideration.
Asking the right questions can be crucial to making an educated decision on the next step of one’s academic and career life.
Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of SAT Smart in Hillsborough that has been offering PSAT, SAT, and ACT preparation courses, as well as private tutoring by Ivy League educated instructors, for more than 25 years. Visit www.SATsmart.com or call 908-369-5362.
