This manuscript summarizes an institutional research study carried out at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) concerning factors affecting time to bachelor's degree attainment. Tuition sensitivity and concern about efficient use of institutional resources point to the need for decreasing students' time-to-degree. This study enlarges upon an…

The High School Sophomore Cohort of 1980 followed nine different pathways to a 4-year college degree. These paths were formed by a combination of different levels of academic preparation secured in high school and the first type of postsecondary institution attended. The pathway most likely to lead to a 4-year degree is one defined by acquiring…

Most economics students at two Swedish universities do not complete their undergraduate theses within the intended time. This paper finds that coauthoring, compared to writing alone, increases the probability of completing a thesis. A second thesis is less likely to be completed than a first, and the probability of completion decreases over time.…

The study compares the degree completion and persistence rates between two cohorts?students who first enrolled in postsecondary education in academic year 1989?90 and their counterparts who first enrolled in 1995?96. The analysis focuses on the rates at which students in each cohort completed a degree within 5 years or were still enrolled at the…

A new study reanalyzing previous data suggests that the widely publicized sharp increase in number of years to doctorates in the humanities is largely a statistical artifact. The new analysis finds an increase of 15 to 20 percent rather than the previously reported 38 percent in number of years to doctorate between 1972 and 1988. (DB)

Interviews with nine undergraduate students who work part time identified positive effects of employment (transferable skills, enhanced employability) and negative ones, especially conflicts between work and school. The role of academic staff in helping students balance competing demands was highlighted. (SK)

The expansion of the American community college has not been matched by the rapid, or even consistent, progress of all entering students toward postsecondary credentials. Instead, a significant proportion of students enrolled in community colleges appear "stuck" on the road to completion. This lack of progress is due to the complex ways in which…

This report describes a simulation of the supply and demand for science and engineering doctorates, time to complete the doctorate, departmental choice behavior, and related matters. An attempt was made to determine whether there is a credible case for long-term underemployment of people with doctoral degrees. It is concluded that about 22% of the…

Explores the net effects of institutional type on degree attainment. Suggests that two-year matriculants are less likely to earn a Bachelors Degree than students first enrolling at four-year colleges. Findings hold even when differences are controlled between the two groups by researchers. Seeks to determine if the established pattern in valid…

A study examined doctorate completion time in 11 scientific and engineering fields for 1967-86. On average, a 20 percent increase in completion time was found. Four measures of time are compared. (Author/MSE)

A study of transcripts of adult students and younger counterparts to examine patterns of credit load, stopping out, and the flow from special student status to matriculant is presented. Results support earlier findings about academic achievement, and presents new evidence that adult students' pace is generally brisker than previously assumed. (MSE)

Presents findings from a retrospective analysis of the academic records of 1,581 students who received associate's degrees from the City Colleges of Chicago in spring 1987. Indicates that 4% of the students completed the degree within 2 years, and 20% took 10 years or more. The modal time-to-degree fell between two and four years. (MAB)

The Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP) is an independent, nonprofit research center based in Washington, DC that is dedicated to researching public policy and economic issues relating to postsecondary education. CCAP aims to facilitate a broader dialogue that challenges conventional thinking about costs, efficiency and…

Almost everyone agrees that colleges have become costly to attend and are a growing burden on society to finance. Rising tuition costs threaten the ability and desire of students to attend college. Are there things that can be done to significantly reduce the cost of college? The answer is an emphatic "yes." The Center for College Affordability…

This study examined reasons that some full-time students take longer than normal to complete a bachelor's degree, and whether students who extend their program are more like those who take only 4 years to graduate or are more like dropouts. One part of the study reviewed 64 transcripts of all traditionally-admissible new freshmen who entered the…