This study determines the typical time lapse from matriculation to graduation for recent bachelor's degree graduates, and observes trends and variations in the matriculation-to-graduation period for graduates of different majors and years. Basic data were compiled for all University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point graduates of 1969, 1970, and 1971.…

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)

Plenty of educators lament the small amount of time and inclination students have for participating in a variety of opportunities for learning and growth in and outside the college classroom. With the majority of students working concurrently with their enrollment and with an ever-increasing focus on efficient time to degree, there seems to be…

Measuring the progress of students toward completing their college education is an important gauge of how well California's postsecondary education systems are meeting the needs of students and the public. This report provides an assessment of persistence as a measure of student success at California's public universities and is one of a series of…

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)

In response to the increasing amount of time it takes many students to complete a bachelor's degree, Arizona's Board of Regents has lowered the number of credits required to graduate from the three state universities. Critics are concerned about educational quality and the role of the Arizona Board of Regents in academic matters. (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 article describes the rationale, implementation, and assessment of a summer-study format, part-time doctoral program that was designed to address the shortcomings of traditional part-time doctoral education in social welfare. Findings of a comparative analysis between 67 full-time and 52 part-time doctoral students suggest that the program…

It has been more than a decade since the U.S. Congress enacted the "Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act," which requires colleges and universities to make public their six-year degree completion rates. Based on the "Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act," prospective students and their parents are being encouraged to make…

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…

This report provides data on the number of years doctoral students take to complete their degrees. Between 1970 and 1993, total time-to-degree (the number of years between the baccalaureate and doctoral degrees) increased from a median of 7.9 years to 11.2 years. Students who majored in the natural sciences or in computer sciences and engineering…

It is generally difficult to appraise the efficiency with which resources are allocated in the education industry because the outputs of education are often difficult to measure. This study focuses on one output of the university: the Ph.D. degree and examines the factors that influence the production of that output. The case study was made at the…