A Four-Year Degree: Questions for Your College Search

How long should it take to earn a college degree? The assumption that it will take four years is so common that people often refer to a bachelor's degree as a "four-year degree." But it can be surprisingly hard to earn a bachelor's degree at the large state universities in our region. The norm at many of these universities is for students to spend five, or even six, years earning a bachelor's degree. Only about 1/2of their freshmen will graduate in four years.

There are several reasons for this problem:

1. The availability of courses. Although state universities offer many introductory courses in large lecture halls, enrollment in the more advanced classes in popular majors is often limited. Students can't readily enroll in the courses they need to complete their degrees.

A question to ask on your campus visits: What percentage of your graduates complete their undergraduate degrees in four years?

2. Advising and academic support. Students at large universities often find themselves in a "sink or swim" environment. If they aren't assertive about getting guidance from their professors and from advisors, and if they don't actively seek tutorial help or assistance with managing their time, it's easier to make poor decisions. Taking the wrong courses for a major, having to retake courses after earning poor grades, or switching majors several times almost guarantee that the undergraduate degree with be a five- or six-year degree.

Questions to ask on your campus visits: What kind of academic support services do you provide? Are students advised by full-time faculty members?

3. Are students moving ahead, or just wandering around? Students who are "on a mission" when they come to college, who have set ambitious goals for themselves, have more success in college. Those who are trying to "find themselves" often spend a good bit of time wandering around.

It's hard to ask a question about what proportion of students are "on a mission" and how many are "wandering around," but one good way to get a feel for this issue is to check out the level of student engagement at a college. Are there lots of opportunities to get involved? Do the students seem to be passionate about what they are doing? Do the faculty and coaches really love teaching?

Students who can get the courses they need, who get good guidance and support, and who are engaged and moving ahead are much more likely to graduate in four years. The advantages of a true "four-year degree" are obvious. The fifth and sixth years of college cost serious money. More for tuition, more for housing, more for food. But the biggest financial impact of an extra year in college is the income you don't earn because you are still in college. Entry-level salaries in most professional positions requiring a college degree start at $35,000 and go up from there. You can't earn that salary as a fifth-year senior.

At Southwestern College, 72% of our graduates finish their bachelor's degree in four years. As a consequence, they graduate with less debt than students who attend less expensive public universities on the five-year plan.

But finances don't even begin to tell the story of the value of the Southwestern experience. At Southwestern, students are immersed in a community that challenges and supports them, that pushes them to achieve, and helps them stay on track in their preparation for careers and service. At Southwestern a lot of our students don't want to leave after four years, but it's not because they haven't graduated. They don't want to leave because they had such a terrific experience at SC.