Only 4 in 10 students who entered college in 2007 have earned
degrees from the school where they started.
That's according to a review released Monday from the research arm of the
National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit organization that works with
colleges to verify students' enrollment and graduation status. More than 3,500
schools cooperated with the review.
Overall, 56 percent of those who started college in 2007 have finished their
coursework on any campus. About 29 percent of those who started college that
year are no longer taking classes toward a degree.
Graduation rates are one piece of the U.S. Department of Education's
still-emerging college rating system. The Education Department wants to pressure
colleges to keep costs down and perhaps link federal financial aid to their
performances.
