Graduation Days
President Obama has issued a challenge: By 2020, he wants the proportion of Americans with college degrees to be the highest in the world. And while much is made of the abysmal high school graduation rate (one in three drop out), attention is now being directed at the number of students who enroll in college, earn college credits, but never graduate. Worldwide, the U.S. currently ranks seventh among the proportion of adults enrolled in college. But when it comes to actual degrees being completed, we fare worse— 15th place. Here is a breakdown of enrollments at public and private universities (data was taken from the 6,790 institutions that participate in Title IV federal student financial aid programs) and the number that finally make it through, degree in hand.
