The college degree completion rate has been decreasing steadily.
More recent studies have found:
- 44 percent of those who enter US colleges fail to graduate within six years.
- 71 percent of those who enter two-year programs in the US fail to graduate within three years.
- 46 percent of those who begin college will complete it.
Students often turn to loans to pay for their degrees. However, students often find themselves in debt.
Student caliber is also related to chances of completing college. In Ivy League schools, which have very selective admissions processes, there is a 90 percent retention rate, in contrast with open admissions schools in the United States, which have a 25 percent retention rate. This implies that the greater the level of academic proficiency of the student, the more likely he or she is to graduate. Studies suggest that many students entering colleges in the United States are not academically prepared for the curriculum:
Also, more students are attending college, and therefore, colleges have less resources per student:
Other reasons why students in the US fail to complete college include:
- The total balance of student loans in the US is approximately 870 billion dollars.
- 27 percent of students with loans are at least 30 days behind in payments.
- 80 percent of bankruptcy lawyers in the United States have witnessed a substantial increase in the amount of clients seeking relief from student loan debt
- In 1998, Congress passed legislation making it more difficult for students to get this relief from federal loan debt, and in 2005, passed additional legislation which extended these restrictions to private loan debtors.
Student caliber is also related to chances of completing college. In Ivy League schools, which have very selective admissions processes, there is a 90 percent retention rate, in contrast with open admissions schools in the United States, which have a 25 percent retention rate. This implies that the greater the level of academic proficiency of the student, the more likely he or she is to graduate. Studies suggest that many students entering colleges in the United States are not academically prepared for the curriculum:
- Less than one-half of high school graduates complete at least one minimally defined college preparatory course
- United States high school students display ineptitude in important academic areas, specifically mathematics, science, english, and reading. More than 25 percent of 2012 high school graduates did not test up to the college readiness standards in any of these four areas 60 percent only met standards in two areas, only 45 percent met the standard for mathematics, and only 30 percent met the standard for science. Students who meet these standards are 75 percent likely to pass their first year college course corresponding to the area they met the standard in.
Also, more students are attending college, and therefore, colleges have less resources per student:
- The college enrollment rate has increased steadily in the United States since 1970, and the United States now has a higher college enrollment rate than any other country in the world.
- Colleges are receiving less money from government. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that funding for higher education in at least 25 states is undergoing “large, identifiable cuts” which have “direct impacts on students”.
Other reasons why students in the US fail to complete college include:
- Lack of study skills
- Decline in mental health
- Life demands such as family illnesses
- Social discomfort
- Homesickness