The LOWEST Graduation Rates Among 4-Year Colleges (PHOTOS)

We've showed you the colleges with the highest graduation rates in the country -- now it's time to look at the other side. Among America's most selective colleges, which have the LOWEST graduation rates? Click through to find out. All statistics are from the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.

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Webb Institute: 60%

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The Long Island engineering school has a student body of 90 -- and gives each one of them a free ride.

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The Long Island engineering school has a student body of 90 -- and gives each one of them a free ride.

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No Big Deal That's Not Good

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Comments

[Mark NY]

03:09 PM on 06/16/2010

This does not take Rochester's Take Five program into account. The school ENCOURAGES its students to propose a project that they will pursue in a TUITION-FREE FIFTH year. Around 75 of the 1050 students in the class of 2010 will stay for another year.

[Palaver]

05:51 PM on 06/06/2010

Well, the U.S. Air Force doesn't feel like they would be the cream of the crop if they are passing and retaining everyone. Unlike the Army and Marines, they don't recycle.

[Mildmannered]

10:46 PM on 06/02/2010

Why is Webb's graduation rate so terrible?

[Mike169]

04:19 PM on 06/07/2010

Most of the schools listed are academically challenging maybe Webb is one of those or maybe their student body is below par academically. Never hoid of 'em myself.

[Ari Winkleman]

10:22 PM on 06/01/2010

G.W. would cost a student 180,000 over 4 years. I would expect many to drop out

[PostModernGuy]

10:08 AM on 05/28/2010

(Continued from previous post)

4.) Changing majors. This can lead to a delayed degree. If you've taken 15-20 credits in a particular field and decide it's not for you, that's a huge waste of time. I always try to advise kids to make a smaller change - something within that field, if at all possible. Many credits will overlap, and you may only lose a few credits.

A lot of this behavior can really hurt kids. Plus, many of them will be put on academic probation, which limits them to 12 credits a semester. For reference, they need 120 credits. That means they have to pass all those courses (no credit for failing!), and they have to take the right courses in a particular major. Most majors don't give credit for a course within the major for which the student receives a grade lower than a C+. So, you can see how an underachieving kid can easily be at a school for 6 years.

[PostModernGuy]

10:08 AM on 05/28/2010

I'm gathering that these numbers are based on students who eventually graduate - not necessarily in 4 years. From my observations there are a few reasons why kids either delay or don't finish:
1.) Financial. Many kids work (part or even full time), and take less credits/semester. They also may have some trouble finding time/energy to study.

2.) Not being prepared for college. Many kids have to take remedial Math/English courses (and I'm talking about English-speaking kids!), many of which do not count towards graduation. Even with that, kids often fail classes that require research papers. All those wasted credits add up.

3.) Not adjusting to college life. Kids are suddenly 'free', so they party. All the time. Guess what they're not doing???
Also, many students have time management/priority issues, even without the excessive partying. I've had kids drop out of classes because they met "too early" as in 11AM - and yes, they were out partying and not working.
Some of this can be seen in poor (or non-existent) study habits. I'm always shocked when I see kids without notebooks. Sure enough, these kids almost always fail.

[annieluc]

01:26 AM on 05/21/2010

Sarah Palin went to 6 colleges in 6 years to get a 4-year degree. Wouldn't she be queen of the lowest graduation rates in America, or the world?

[Travis Bonnett]

07:43 PM on 05/21/2010

I can't stand her either but transferring is different than dropping out, in my humble opinion.

[mamala4]

08:59 AM on 06/05/2010

Who cares? It seems the Palin Aura has waned since the oil spill...so why acknowledge anything about her? I was liking the lack of Palin, if only for a few days.

[loki]

11:41 PM on 05/19/2010

I heard just last week that UMSL in st. louis has a 73% grad rate, SLU in st. Louis is around 80% and get this, the st. louis community college in 2009, had a 7% grad rate!! 7%!! But, each year they not only max out enrollment, but max out federal aid payments. They dont care if students graduate. They just care if they can pay. Graduation is a nice perk for the student apparently.

[loki]

11:52 PM on 05/19/2010

just to be clear, I did graduate from SLU over 28 years ago, and I did enroll in a course at UMSL recently, and was completely disappointed. I passed , but I basically could have done the same thing for a lot less online. I just wouldnt get the credit for for. but at least I would have been able to understand it. My $2000 course instructor couldn't speak 2 words of English coherently much less legibly . When I inquired about why my costly course instructor could not speak English well enough for students to understand I was told " thats the way it is at many universities, you just have to deal with it" ??????Deal with it? at 2 grand? If I hired a builder who couldnt build a thing, would I just have to deal with it? Or would I be able to sue him for not performing per contractual agreement? But because UMSL is a university they are above such things I guess and can just put anyone in a teaching position, as long as they work cheap enough I guess. Yes, bitter party of one! Id get fired if I performed like this instructor did.

[ipolitics123]

10:44 PM on 05/21/2010

I'm shocked (shocked!) that someone would expect an instructor at an American university to speak English. Next you'll be expecting them to be American citizens or legal immigrants or something. You raaaaaaaaaacist! Waahahhhhhh!

[getcaption]

03:26 PM on 05/22/2010

Just a note on community college graduation rates. They have a very low rate mostly because students transfer to universities before graduation (which, in my opinion, is a good thing). So you have a lot of students who use the federal aid to go to community colleges for their early courses and save millions collectively. Good thing. And the person below me is kinda idiotic.

[larry278]

03:42 PM on 05/19/2010

FWIW, I'm proud to have been graduated by the U of Miami, aka Sun Tan U, in 1967. For obscure reasons I once was married to a woman who had earned a Masters from Case. I earned an MS from U of Ky. Such a union is not fated to last.
I must not be the marrying kind. My last marriage ended in divorce. I don't understand women. I'm content to revere women.

[zfire]

03:42 PM on 05/19/2010

Actually,I was courted by UM and chose the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale because I wanted to learn 3d animation. UM had such a horrifying computer lab. It was evident during the tour that the huge tuition went to the football team. The dropout rate is in my opinion, a result of students figuring this out after they enrolled. AIFL isn't a University but, their teachers were great and they had the labs to get the work done. I followed up with a MFA from Digital Arts College. Also not a state University. I currently make well over 60 grand a year as an industrial artist for a major car corp. I just turned 27. When I go back to Miami to visit, many of my friends that went to UCF, UM, and Florida State are still job shopping. Yes, it also has a lot to do with the economy. Yet, I will say that ever since I was in high school I have found the whole University obsession to be over rated. Many of these schools cater to athletes not nerds. It should be mentioned that many academic institutions have hardworking students that become successful in IT, arts, and culinary fields. Even though my GPA was 3.7 and my SAT score was a blowout, I still chose an Institute over a University. For your consideration...

[MarauderF]

11:10 PM on 05/19/2010

The tuition went to the football team? I was under the impression they pull in far more money than they cost.

[texastrixie]

09:52 AM on 05/19/2010

Three of the institutions cited are military-related. Sad, but true, you want a high wash-out rate at these schools. They are training people to lead other people into warfare. If anyone is going to "not make the grade," it is highly preferred that both the military and the person involved find this out in school, not in the heat of battle.

As to the "winner," that engineering school that pays everyone's way, what's up with that. Rice University, the Harvard of the South, was no cost for the longest time. Somehow they were always able to field a student body of extremely qualified people and I think the drop-out rate for them was tiny.

[1differentdrummer]

10:18 AM on 05/19/2010

Look at USAFA and ask if something else is not wrong. The place has been shown to be greatly influenced if not dominated by fundamentalist Christians. Could that be improved? With a 23% dropout rate, how realistic are the admissions requirements? And what is the dropout rate for athletes?

[muhair]

05:52 PM on 05/19/2010

not to mention scandals, historical at this pt I believe, involving abusive treatment of female cadets, and coverups of same.

[corwin]

01:15 PM on 05/20/2010

Could you source this? It seems unlikely.
and the service acadamies generally have SAT levels about the same as the ''public Ivies?

[cplKlyde]

03:43 PM on 06/03/2010

It's not so much a high wash out rate as many decide after freshman or sophomore year that military life is not for them.

[FPhoebe]

12:58 AM on 05/19/2010

I suggested this days ago and they actually did it, haha. I guess someone over at HuffPo reads these dumb comments.

[martiniandabotoxchaser]

11:41 PM on 05/18/2010

I wonder if students are afraid to graduate because once they do they are no longer eligible for internships....it is impossible to get real jobs and students can access the internship market as long as they remain in school.

[darker]

01:59 AM on 05/19/2010

you got that one right.

[texastrixie]

09:54 AM on 05/19/2010

No, people still go off to college and descend into drugs and socializing to the extent it costs them their grade point average, then probation, and then out they go. Young people are going to flub up to a certain percent, and that's just life.

[martiniandabotoxchaser]

10:39 AM on 05/19/2010

That is a very small minority. The majority of students at legitimate programs (there are plenty of trade school that use the term "college" but are not four year accredited academic institutions) are extremely hardworking. Many who don't have high GPA"s have such because the academics demand and competition at top schools is more difficult today than at any time in history.

[MarauderF]

10:38 PM on 05/18/2010

If only Steve Jobs had earned that degree, he might havve made something of himself.

[darker]

02:00 AM on 05/19/2010

Steve Jobs is a marketing genius. Apple isn't about making equipment that
makes any sense at all. It's all about the Kleenex approach now: DISPOSABLE.

[CrazyHorseLiberal]

05:26 AM on 05/21/2010

NICE. And true.

[dlimon]

05:47 AM on 05/19/2010

He's more than you'll ever be. Even in your dreams.

[joefoss]

08:55 PM on 05/18/2010

Ironically, these numbers may be more complimentary than damning.
=Yes, compared to the "Ivy's," for example, a graduation rate under 90% is disappointing. But, compared to all colleges and universities, not just "selective ones," graduation rates in excess of 75% (I assume in four years) look pretty good.
=Also, the list includes schools like Webb Institute, that offers degrees in Naval Architecture and Marine Egineering, and Scripps, a women's liberal arts college. Many students transfer out of these schools, I suspect, because they discover that designing ships & boats isn't as much fun as it might seem; or, for the women at Scripps, because they miss the company of the opposite sex. This says more about the decision-making process of the students than the quality of the colleges.
=I would be interested in seeing the statistics for the lowest graduation rates among ALL four-year colleges.

[bushlies]

10:35 PM on 05/18/2010

It's generally the rule at women's colleges that A LOT of the women transfer to co-ed universities after their sophomore year.

[Kia Williams]

10:40 AM on 05/19/2010

no, its not

[cabaretchatnoir]

11:24 PM on 05/18/2010

Actually, although Scripps is all-women, the other 4 schools that it is apart of, the claremont colleges, have guys. Guys can take classes, including myself next semester, at the school, even though I technically don't go there. Although I would like to know why they have an 80% graduation rate.

[Kia Williams]

10:44 AM on 05/19/2010

Precisely. Most women's colleges still operating today are part of consortia that allow students to cross register at other nearby schools. This participation is actually a selling point for admission to some schools.
ex: 5 colleges in Western MA. includes Smith College (W), Mt. Holyoke (W), UMASS Amherst, Amherst College, and Hampshire College.

[fauve]

02:01 AM on 05/20/2010

Yeah, Id like to know why Scripps is here too. They're highly selective. I wonder if it's a case of shrinking financial aid in later years. Pomona, whose financial aid is awesome was among the top ten colleges with the highest graduation rates.