Two details to know. The first time student measure does not cover transfer students, and the federal data publishes a separate completion rate for transfer students, so if you plan to transfer in, check that number instead. And the completion measure includes students who earned a degree from a different institution along the way, which is why some schools that transfer many students out still show a high figure.
Why do different sources give different numbers?
Because schools publish whatever measure flatters them, and there are several to choose from. One year retention, four year graduation, six year completion, and the 150 percent rule each tell a different story. Our guide to Harvard versus Yale uses the federal figures for the same reason, and it shows how two schools with nearly identical prices can show very different aid.
The fix is simple. Use one source for every school you compare, and the College Scorecard is the only free source that measures everyone the same way. When a school quotes you its own number, ask which measure and which cohort it uses, and then ask whether the number includes transfer students who left.
What do the high numbers not tell you?
Three things. They do not tell you how hard it was. A 97 percent completion rate at a school that admits 4 percent of applicants describes a very different experience from 97 percent at a school that admits 60 percent, because the first group was already selected for resilience. They do not tell you about the student experience, which our guide to the Harvard resume template touches on through what the career office expects you to show. And they do not tell you what you will earn, which is a separate question in the College Scorecard data.
They also do not tell you whether a program is right for you. Our guide to the best computer science colleges in the US looks at curriculum, cost, and internship pipelines, because a high completion rate in the wrong subject is still the wrong subject.
How should you use this number when you apply?
As a filter on the schools you take seriously, and as a reason to ask questions of the rest. The Ivy League graduation rates in this guide are the federal numbers, which are the only ones that can be compared across schools, and they are the only ones that describe the same thing at every school. Any program below 80 percent deserves an explanation, because the number predicts how likely you are to finish and how much of your tuition will be spent without a degree. Comparing Ivy League graduation rates with public school completion rates is the fastest way to see whether the price gap buys anything for the student who needs it most. Between 80 and 90 percent is the national range for many solid public programs. Above 94 percent is exceptional, and it means the school has systems in place to catch students who are struggling.
One last practical note. Ask the school what happens when a student falls behind, because the completion rate is the output of those systems. Advising, tutoring, emergency grants, and academic leave are what turn a 70 percent rate into a 95 percent rate. Our guide to the best online computer science degree programs covers the same systems from the online side, where a different kind of support is needed.
Fazlur Rahman
