Who graduates from college on time -- that is, in 4 years?

A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released this week shows that only half of first-time college students graduate in 6 years. As Catherine Rampell of the New York Times' Economix blog writes, "As we’ve covered here many times before, there is an abundance of evidence showing that going to college is worth it. But that’s really only true if you go to college and then graduate…" In a follow-up post, Rampell looks more closely at the completition rates and the reasons that students aren't finishing their programs on time.

Understanding who graduates on time and why is important not only for the other side of the college admissions desk where this "inside baseball" info informs their day-to-day policy. It's also important for students and parents as they consider aspects such as fit and affordability when creating the list of colleges to which they'll apply. You can read the full Economix posts here and here and access the National Student Clearinghouse report here.

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