America’s College Graduation Rates Stagnating

ELLEN LI

News Editor

As high school seniors prepare to complete and submit their college applications this fall, many of them are more stressed about getting into college rather than graduating from college. However, what they do not realize is that applying is only the first of many steps to be taken in the pursuit of a higher education.

According to the “Pathways to Prosperity” study conducted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2011, only 56 percent of college students complete four-year degrees within six years. As for those who enroll in community colleges, only 29 percent of those students are able to earn their degrees within three years.

Thus, the majority of students who choose to pursue a higher education after college  fail to earn a degree on time, if they even complete their degree. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the US now has the highest college dropout rate in the industrialized world.

There are a variety of reasons as to why students drop out of

college, according to the Harvard study. They may be underprepared for the rigors of academic work in college. Others  cannot cope with the demands of family, work and school. The financial burden of attaining a degree may be too great. Or, perhaps they cannot see a clear connection between their studies and tangible opportunities in the labor market.

Whatever the case may be, a college education is still seen as vital to attaining future success.

“Many jobs that are available now require college degrees, so people need the preparation and knowledge to do what they’re trying to do,” senior Devonne Hwang said.

Over the last several decades, all of the net job growth in America has been created by positions that require at least some post-secondary education. According to projections by the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University, there will be a continuation of this long-term trend where applicants with no more than a high school degree will fill increasingly fewer jobs in the labor market.

“A college degree isn’t necessarily needed to succeed in life, but it really helps,” Physics teacher Ernie Chen said. “Statistically, [students] have a much better chance in life with a college diploma.”

According to the Harvard study, the underlying problem is that our current system behaves as though the only acceptable route to success is through a four-year college education, so students feel as though they cannot do well in life if they wish to explore alternative paths. It states that high school career-focused pathways should be linked to college majors so that students can see the real life applications and value that their educations have.

For instance, in European countries such as Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland, a significant portion of young people enter an educational program after grades nine or ten. These programs typically combine classroom and workplace learning over the next three years, and it culminates in a certificate with merit in the labor market.

Although the US does not currently offer these more diverse career pathways, they may be considered for the future.