Monday, March 29, 2010

How has the college enrollment rate immediately following high school graduation varied over time?

Approximately 58 percent of first-time students seeking a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and attending a 4-year institution full time in 2000-01 completed a bachelor's degree or its equivalent at that institution within 6 years. The bachelor's degree completion rates of students seeking a bachelor's degree at 4-year institutions varied by the type of institution. For example, graduation rates were higher at private not-for-profit institutions than at public or private for-profit institutions. The 6-year graduation rate for private not-for-profit institutions was 65 percent, compared with 55 percent for public institutions and 33 percent for private for-profit institutions. The gap in the rates between private not-for-profit and public institutions was larger for 4-year and 5-year graduation rates than for the 6-year graduation rate.

The bachelor's degree completion rates of students seeking a bachelor's degree at 4-year institutions also varied by student characteristics, including race/ethnicity and sex. Of all students seeking a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and attending a 4-year institution in 2000-01, Asian/Pacific Islander students had the highest 6-year graduation rate, followed by White, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian/Alaska Native students. Approximately 67 percent of Asians/Pacific Islanders, compared with 60 percent of Whites, 49 percent of Hispanics, 42 percent of Blacks, and 40 percent of American Indians/Alaska Natives graduated with a bachelor's degree or its equivalent within 6 years.

In both public and private not-for-profit 4-year institutions, the 6-year graduation rates for females were higher than the rates for males. For public institutions, approximately 58 percent of females seeking a bachelor's degree or its equivalent graduated within 6 years, compared with 51 percent of their male counterparts; for private not-for-profit institutions, 67 percent of females graduated within 6 years, compared with 62 percent of males. At private for-profit institutions, however, the 6-year graduation rate was higher for males than females (36 vs. 29 percent).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). The Condition of Education 2009 (NCES 2009-081), Indicator 22.

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