Whereas students were  more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree within 6 years if, among other  things, they had a more rigorous curriculum in high school, attended  college full-time, were continuously enrolled, worked less than 20 hours  per week, or did not transfer. After controlling for other factors, we found  that disadvantaged students were no less likely to complete a bachelor’s  degree than other students. For various reasons, not all students who enroll in college will ultimately  attain a degree. Students who worked   20 or more hours per week were less likely to complete a bachelor’s  degree than students who did not work. However, as we have noted, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are  less likely to attend college in the first place. Educating students and parents about college. State Efforts to Help Colleges Improve Their Performance in Retaining and Graduating Students

Many states reported efforts to improve the performance of colleges in the  areas of retaining and graduating their students. Education Has Identified Priorities for Increasing College Completion and Strengthening Accountability of Institutions

In its 2002-2007 strategic plan, Education has established goals of reducing  the gaps in college participation and completion among certain student  populations and increasing completion rates overall. While some states have used  graduation rates to promote accountability, such measures may not fully  reflect an institution’s performance. Education does have  some efforts to evaluate and disseminate information related to retention  and completion; however, it does not systematically identify and  disseminate information on those practices that hold promise for  increasing retention and graduation rates across all sectors of higher  education. Other contacts and acknowledgments are listed in  appendix V.

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

You asked us to determine (1) the extent to which students—including  those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds—who enroll in a 4-year  college or university complete a bachelor’s degree and the factors that  affect bachelor’s degree completion; (2) what states and 4-year colleges  and universities are doing to foster bachelor’s degree completion and what  is known about the effectiveness of these efforts; and (3) what the U.S.  Department of Education is doing to foster bachelor’s degree completion.
Why GAO Did This Study

Because of concerns that not enough students who start college are completing a bachelor's degree, we examined (1) the extent to which students who enroll in a 4-year college complete a bachelor's degree and identify the factors that affect completion; (2) what states and 4-year colleges and universities are doing to foster bachelor's degree completion; and (3) what the Department of Education (Education) is doing to foster degree completion.

What GAO Found

More than half of all students who enrolled in a 4-year college completed a bachelor's degree within 6 years. Students were less likely to complete if neither parent had completed a degree, they were black, they worked 20 or more hours per week, or they transferred to another college. Students had a greater likelihood of completing if they were continuously enrolled, attended full-time, or had more rigorous high school curriculum. After controlling for other factors, GAO found that disadvantaged students were no less likely to complete a degree than other students. However, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to attend college in the first place. States are beginning to hold colleges accountable for retaining and graduating their students, and Education has been discussing this with the higher education community. Many states are publishing retention and graduation rates for their colleges, and some have tied performance in these areas to funding. According to Education, providing information on colleges' retention and graduation performance can help prospective students make informed decisions. However, the measure used by Education may not fully reflect an institution's performance because institutional goals and missions are not captured in the measure. In its strategic plan, Education has identified goals to reduce gaps in college completion and increase overall completion. It also has some evaluation and dissemination efforts related to retention and completion, however, these efforts do not systematically identify and disseminate promising retention and graduation practices to help states and institutions.