How Long Should It Take to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree?
The American Enterprise Institute recently released its study titled “Diplomas and Dropouts: Which Colleges Actually Graduate Their Students (and Which Don’t).” There are parts of the study that are good. There is an attempt to compare institutions with similar missions, and there is a strong emphasis on success, as in completion. But, there is a problem, in my mind, because the study reinforces the idea that a bachelor’s degree should be completed in 4 years, and that if someone has not completed it in 6, they have “dropped out” or “failed.”
You only have to go so far as examining how the press reported the study. At the national level, the headline was OK, “4-year colleges graduate 53% of students in 6 years.” That headline could allow for the fact that more, even many more, students simply take more than 6 years to finish. And, I have argued in this blog that taking more than 6 years is not unusual or surprising for the vast majority of students who study part-time and work. But the opening sentence of the article is not so great, “Even as colleges nationwide celebrate commencement season, hundreds of schools are failing to graduate a majority of their students in six years.”
At the state level, the headline is “41 percent in state don’t finish college within 6 years.” And the paper quotes one of the reports authors, Kevin Carey, as follows: “But in a state that size, if 41 percent are not graduating, those are lost opportunities. When we talk about higher education, we usually only talk about access. We don’t talk nearly as much about success.”
Now, I admit that the headlines and articles correctly point out that the graduation rates were after 6 years. But, the tone and message conveyed is literally what Mr. Carey communicated. This is failure. We have lost these students. The schools have failed. Have they? Why is 4 years or 6 years so magic? What relevance do those timeframes have for students who work and study only part-time. If full-time study should result in a bachelor’s degree in 4 years, then why not measure after 8 years since we have so many part-time students? Why not 12 years?
Are we “failing” simply because we have set an artificial timeline? More importantly, what is the message sent to the student who works and studies part-time? Are they failures if they don’t finish in 4 or 6 years?
Or, is this just another example of researchers driving public policy discussions based on out-of-date assumptions about who college students are, how they pursue their studies, and the ways in which they ultimately succeed?
Please feel free to leave a comment.
Mike
Share This12 Responses to “How Long Should It Take to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree?”
Paul Says:
I would agree that the stereotypical 4 year degree completion time for a Bachelors should not be used as an end-all measure. For my Bachelors I attended a school with year-round instruction. As sort of the inverse of what the AEI appears to be suggesting, is my Bachelors worth less than a 4 year one simply because I completed it in 2 years 8 months? Is it worth more? If the time logic can be used one way to imply a negative, it can also be used the other way to imply the same or opposite.
The other part of this too is internships. If someone is studying while working as an intern, it’s feasible that they may want to spread things out more, especially if they have family wrapped into the equation. Others may want to “learn and earn” at the same time, taking an entry level job in the field they are studying simultaneously. One of my own family members took four years to finish his general Associates.
To place blame for “failing” solely on the shoulders of the colleges is I think unfair (if that is what AEI is doing) because it’s basically blaming the schools for all of the individual differences that contribute to someone taking more than four years to finish an undergradutate. A person’s education is their prerogative and theirs to control, not the school’s. In fact, I don’t see how a college can necessarily be blamed at all for someone not finishing in four years. The students earn the grades and do the work. Colleges advise them yes, but educational decisions are ultimately each student’s to make and act on. If someone wishes to take it out over six years, so be it. It’s not ours or the AEI’s place to put a value on that.
Lisa Featherston Says:
Well it took me 4 years so I can’t say it should take less time though many would like it to be sooner. The 4 years did me good. I’m not sure how they could have squeezed any of it to make it sooner and I did my bachelor’s online.
Mike Offerman Says:
Lisa, Paul and Mary Jo, thanks for sharing your perspective and taking time to comment.
Mike
Layne Says:
The notion of traditional “gates” for degree completion is exactly as advertised; traditional. Just like the typewriter and the rotary phone, these traditions usually fight back as we try to leave them behind.
Lifelong learning implies more than just continued education, but also that a person can mature their education as they progress through life.
As I think about the point of view of the American Enterprise Institute, I can only think that they have lost sight of what’s important. It seems as if they view students as customers and tuition as revenue.
How about celebrating the availability and cost constraints offered by adult learning media such as online and evening class? Here’s a meaningful metric; number of adults over 40 obtaining a bachelor’s degree. That’s not only educational success, but human success!
Mike Offerman Says:
Lance, good point about human success. I appreciate that you took time to comment.
Mike
FichenDich Says:
It took me 12 years to get my A.S. degree. My first college class was taken as a sophomore in high school. In between were four years in the U.S. Army. After that, I worked full time. The entire subject of time to acquire a degree is spurious.
Mike Offerman Says:
FichenDich, thanks for adding some real world reality in you comment.
Mike
Mary@Never Too Late For College Says:
Amen! As a former community college academic adviser, I was forever telling my students not to focus on the 4-year mark. It’s not a magic number and it’s not a realistic goal for most students, let alone those working or attending college part-time. I will definitely link to this article in my blog. Thanks!
Nnamdi Says:
Mike,
Capella is a relatively young brand compared to the top-ranked well-known universities. I think that Capella should break the mold by joining the AACSB schools as the first all-online university member of the group. This action would not only elevate the Capella brand, increase the university raking, but also, it would increase the enrollment. Currently, there is a glut of online programs and universities; hence, there are subtle noticeable differences between one online university and another. This is an opportunity for Capella to differentiate itself and position the university as online Ivy League. Given a choice, the other 85% would choose an online Ivy League over a generic online university. Perhaps, we can learn one or two things from Steve Jobs.
Nnamdi
Mike Offerman Says:
Nnamdi, thanks for your post. And your suggestions.
Mike
Chetan Says:
Nicely said. I appreciate your post with all the insights. Took me 6 years to get mine, however now that I look back… it can be done in 3 years max!
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Mary Jo Nelson Says:
Dr. Offerman,
I am always interested in the worries of people on how long it will take to obtain a degree of anytype. I started out over 25 years ago with an attempt to gain an associates through one of the local Business Colleges, but lost interest quickly and didn’t complete the study, ended up with a very lack luster GPA of 2.0. I again took and interest in 2005 for education and opened the door for a B.S. in Business Administration, but again locally and with a dedication I had not felt for a very long time I hit the studies and working, both full time and completed that course of studies in 2007 (this school had both a physical facility and elearning classes)(with a GPA this time of 3.49).
Well, needless to say after that and with financial aid still intact I began my education for a M.S. at Capella in August of 2007 and found that the elearning process is great for those of us who are working and flew through the program, with graduation just this past month (GPA 3.75).
Granted I only had schdule my time around my working hours, but with faith and endurance, and many times patience with myself, the education process can be completed at any time. Just be comfortable with your knowledge and seeing the overall goal of completing your education and it will be finished within a reasonable amount of time.
August 12th, 2009 at 4:09 pm