WV HAS EIGHTH WORST COLLEGE GRAD RATE IN USA

(11/19/2015)
US college graduation rate drops 2 percent, WV rate also on decline
By Samuel Speciale, Education Reporter for the Gazette-Mail

The number of students earning a degree in America is declining at both public and private colleges, says a national report released Tuesday.

In a study of the 2.9 million students who started college in 2009, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center discovered only 52.9 percent graduated within six years, a 2.1 percent decline compared to the previous class.

In its study, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, an independent organization that tracks enrollment and graduation data, looked at students who started college immediately after high school, those who delayed entering college until their 20s and adult learners over 24.

The graduation rate of older students who started school in 2009 declined the most. Only 33.6 percent of students who delayed entering college until their 20s completed their degree within six years, a 4.7 decline compared to those who started in 2008 and finished in 2014. Adult learners, at 39.2 percent, saw a smaller decline of 2.9 percent.

READ REST OF STORY: US college graduation rate drops 2 percent, WV rate also on decline By Samuel Speciale, Education Reporter for the Gazette-Mail