College Graduation

4 Years College Graduation

Does anyone really graduate in four years anymore in the United States?

Sure they do, but there’s also a whole slew of others who take five, or even six years in an attempt to not only obtain their education, but also balance extracurricular activities and sports, as well as financially support their endeavors. It appears to be a personal choice based on individual circumstances. Yet still, many universities across the country are offering incentives, highlighting the benefits, and some even penalizing students through raised tuition rates, all in an effort to process them through their institutions at a more efficient rate.

Universities offer several reasons for encouraging a traditional four-year graduation rate, ranging from less student debt accumulation, better chances of actually completing a degree, and improving their school’s ranking – since four-year graduation rates are increasingly becoming an important indicator of a university’s performance level.

But plenty of students counter that overloading themselves with courses in order to graduate according to a specified time frame is definitely not worth the slip in grades, much less the increased stress level associated. And there are even others who are just not in a hurry to graduate, be it simply because they are enjoying the college experience, or are anxious about actually being able to find a job after graduation in these tough economic times.

What do you think about the push for a four-year college graduation? Since students are paying for every quarter or semester extra they remain enrolled, should it really be up to university officials and policy makers as to how long they end up taking? All this talk of numbers ponders the question, what ever happened to the old saying, quality over quantity?