Colleges Raise Graduation Rates by Cutting Credits Required
The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com
By RICHARD MORGAN
To graduate, most college students must toil through countless hours of required courses in
English composition, mathematics, science, and foreign languages, not to mention classes
they need for their majors.
But that's not as true as it once was in the University of Wisconsin System, which in 1995 set
out to cut the average number of credits earned by students, from 145 to 140, by 2000. The
system hoped to enable students to graduate more quickly, freeing up dormitory and
classroom space for an ever-growing enrollment. According to a report released this month,
the system exceeded its goal: In 2000-1, the average number of credits graduating students
had earned was 137. And the proportion of students receiving their degrees in four years
increased to 33 percent in 2000-1 from 21 percent in 1993-94.
While colleges' graduation rates are driven by many factors, credit requirements are an
important one. Following are the average numbers of credits needed to graduate at several
other colleges, and the percentages of students graduating in four years:
Average
number of
credits
4-year
graduation
rate
Boston
College
114
88%
Kansas State
U.
124
22%
Rhodes
College
(Tenn.)
112
71%
St. Mary's
College of
Maryland
128
67%