Five Texas Colleges Have Graduation Rates Above 50%

Texas has long championed an effort to increase state college enrollment rates. But data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics reveals that there may be a lack of follow-through once students are on campus: out of the state's 32 universities, a mere five graduate more than half their attendees.

The Texas Tribune reports:

The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University have the highest graduation rates: Both graduate 78 percent of their students in six years or less, but that's still a step behind national peers like the University of California-Los Angeles and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, which graduate 90 percent and 88 percent, respectively. At the bottom of the Texas list is Texas Southern University, which graduates just 12 percent of students in six years, followed by the University of Houston-Downtown and the University of Texas at Brownsville, each at 16 percent.

Texas officials are debating how to best approach the issue. State Higher Education Commissioner Raymund Paredes wants to make it so schools only receive state funds for successful students. But House Public Education Committee Vice-Chairman and State Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston, disagrees with Paredes's plan and is meeting with university officials to chart a course of action. For now, Hochberg and fellow state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, both back improving on-campus advising and support so students are less likely to fall through the cracks.

The Tribune points out that the state launched a campaign in 2000 called "Closing the Gaps by 2015" in effort to bring the state to par with national graduation rates (which is about 60 percent). An independent study reported that the movement, if successful, will greatly increase jobs and revenue in the state. The plan was recently updated to highlight the need to recruit more Hispanic and African-American students to the state's colleges.

What do you think?

Comments

[Leto II]

10:55 AM on 05/12/2010

Oh well. I guess Texas can't be bad ass in everything.

[farmilyman]

04:47 AM on 05/12/2010

Not surprising considering that their board of education de-scienced the textbooks used in the state and filled them with rightwing ideology.

[Michael Valentine]

01:02 PM on 05/12/2010

Makes the kids "Texas Ignorant" and dang proud of it.

[SeekWisdom]

09:08 PM on 05/12/2010

They edited Thomas Jefferson out too, so no Declaration of Independence down there. Guess that makes Texas a Spanish colony still. Trouble is, they set the precedent for 80% of the other states, so any not part of the original 13 colonies are back to square one too.

Welcome to the reservation, I guess

[Bonaboman]

10:53 PM on 05/11/2010

We can't do a "no child left behind" for college. If we coddle students through, we'll create a bunch of graduates who do not know how to work hard. The key to college does not have anything to do with intelligence, it has to do with hard work. If a student does not work hard, bye bye and on to burger land.

[SeekWisdom]

09:10 PM on 05/12/2010

and if they do the hard work and graduate, it's still on to burger land.

[Arrive2 net]

10:25 PM on 05/11/2010

There are successful models for increasing student success, such as that described by http://chronicle.com/article/6-Strategies-Can-Help-Entering/64871 . I've always thought it would be a good idea for universities with problems like that, low graduation rates, to structure their programs so that the students have to take classes that will earn them an associate's degree after two years. That way ... if they end up walking away after two years, they walk away with something, and in such a system even students who drop before the second year is completed may be close to an associate's degree if they take up their education again later. The last two years is when you take most of your major classes anyway. At the graduate level, some schools offer the possibility to get periodic certificates as the student proceeds. Such a system is designed help give the students get some reinforcement for hanging in there, which may encourage them to succeed. Texas is Texas, and I think that many Texans have a pride in state that will push them want to have successful colleges.

Arrive2.net

[DramaKitteh]

09:49 PM on 05/11/2010

Don't Mess With Texas!

It's not nice to make fun of retards....

[Leto II]

10:56 AM on 05/12/2010

What state are you from? I'm from Texas and I'll take a Pepsi challenge over your welfare state any day of week.

[Pharos]

12:08 PM on 05/12/2010

I think he was referring to our Governor.

[bruinlover09]

07:13 PM on 05/11/2010

The attitude of UCLA is there is no excuse for not graduating. Faculty, staff, and student body does everything in their power to make sure every student is able to graduate. It is rare for students not to form student groups or a struggling student to ask the top student for help. There is a student-run Retention center which peer counseling, tutors, and old sample of tests (to help student study). UCLA has a diversity student body including homeless students and UCLA attempts to address the most of the needs of its students.If the student is willing to work, there is always a way on that campus. Go Bruins!

[Martin Houde]

07:01 PM on 05/11/2010

12% ????????????

88% don't graduate ?

And that University still calls itself a University ?

That system is in serious need of a overhaul. And funding universities by their graduation rates will only increase the problem further.

[Bonaboman]

06:46 PM on 05/11/2010

There is a huge difference in the acceptance rates and the quality of students a university like UCLA gets and some of the dummies various universities have to take.

[Martin Houde]

07:02 PM on 05/11/2010

Of course.

But those rates of graduation are still WAY too low. That system needs a overhaul badly... I can't believe 88% of a university's students are too dumb to complete their programs....

[A Jay]

08:26 AM on 05/12/2010

You/re assuming that they all flunk out. That's just not the case. Some drop out, some transfer out, some can't finish because of financial reasons...the list goes on and on.

[throwcautiontothewind]

05:38 PM on 05/11/2010

Educational attainment levels are BEST predicted by family characteristics, and Texas has its fair share of low-SES families with low parent educational levels. The problem, is, however, complicated by our current Texas Board of Education's new educational "standards" which promote fundamentalist religion principles over those of science, history & social studies.

[Nuttshell]

05:01 PM on 05/11/2010

One thing to note about the TX educational system. Why do they put more money into their football stadiums than the actual schools? Have you seen these things? Out in the middle of nowhere, there will be this huge, lighted stadium that looks like it belongs on a college campus but the schools themselves, not nearly as nice. Football is king in TX, education not so much.

[A Jay]

05:11 PM on 05/11/2010

Football is a $$$ maker. That is all.

[Nuttshell]

05:19 PM on 05/11/2010

I realize that but why can't they even pretend that they are trying to educate kids with some of those dollars.

[throwcautiontothewind]

05:34 PM on 05/11/2010

Agreed that football receives too much money, but several Texas universities (UT-Austin, for example) provide excellent educations. The problem is that the number of students coming from low-SES families, and that the pre-college system doesn't always prepare students for hard work at university.

[pompous]

04:59 PM on 05/11/2010

Texas has had a history of poor education. I suspect there are many financial and educational factors that have resulted in poor graduation rates at Texas universities. Suffice it to say that Texas is not known for intellectual prowess as much as their friday night lights. That said Texas is not the only state with problems - this problem runs far deeper in our nation's lower and higher educational systems. The issue of grade inflation has been relatively ignored and should be considered a suspect in diminishing graduation rates and poorly prepared college bound students. Kicking the educational can down to the next class has become a means of avoiding confrontations with parents and students until someone calls bullsh*t.

[vew]

04:56 PM on 05/11/2010

Is this rate based upon Texas residents only or also on out-of -state and TX residents? But regardless, there are so many reasons why people drop out of college. Cost being a major factor- and college is expensive and requires a student to work even with the help of Pell grants and other scholarships. And is the drop out rate based upon a student's failing rate or is it for other reasons. True, TX has a problem with both it's secondary and higher education schools. But the schools mentioned in the article with high drop out rates are the less expensive schools with students who have not always attended strong high schools.

[forty8r]

04:40 PM on 05/11/2010

When you live in the dip s**t Bible Belt what can you expect when science and a secular education is of secondary importance to bible study.

[cwestx]

05:48 PM on 05/11/2010

It's difficult to come up with an appropriate reply to you and your comments. Not because I lack the words, but I don't want to come off as idiotic, ill-informed, close-minded, ill-read, ill-educated, literarally confined, blind-to-facts, lack of facts to base my comments on.....as you.

So, when I thnk of an appropriate response to your biased, ill-conceived, one-minded, elementary, childish, and just plain simplistic post, I will respond. Please...hold your breath until I do.

[chemguy]

03:51 PM on 05/11/2010

So many people blaming Texas. I think the real problem is that a lot people just are not cut out for college. Look at this list:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/edu_edu_att_ter-education-educational-attainment-tertiary
Even countries that offer free education don't have higher attainment rates than the US. You can't just expect everyone to be a rocket scientist or brain surgeon. A healthy society needs to create opportunities for everyone.

[Julia Bailey]

04:32 PM on 05/11/2010

Those are statistics that show how many people have bachelors degrees, and it doesn't compare to how many are dropping out. Most Canadians finish school, there are just a lot less of them that get the opportunity to go because Canadians schools are more difficult to get into. In the US, if you have money you can find a school that will take you.

[Pharos]

12:05 PM on 05/12/2010

I have more and more students that cannot do basic math. That limits one's opportunities for more than just college.

[ChiBloger]

03:14 PM on 05/11/2010

Guys you’re all talking like you think everybody form Texas is as shallow as Rick Perry or GW Bush. I can tell you that , that is not the case. As State Universities go Texas –Austin and Texas A&M are not bad schools. Pick your major like anywhere else. The numbers over for Texas Universities though are dismal. Electing idiots does promote meritocracy. At least here in the Midwest the idiots we do elect never turn up their noses’ at higher education or elite eastern education as if it were sinful.