Public institutions have a unique responsibility to serve their students well and use their taxpayer-funded resources effectively. Some states, however, produce better outcomes than others. This is made clear in the Martin Center’s 50-State Comparison on college graduation rates, which evaluates each state on four key metrics of institutional success: the first-year retention rate, the 4-year graduation rate, the 6-year graduation rate, and the transfer-out rate among public universities.
This comparison is aimed at informing policymakers, university administrators, and the public on the state of public higher education and recommending concrete ways it can be improved.
The data presented in this 50-State Comparison underscores a wide variation of state outcomes. For example, the average 4-year graduation rate in Alaska is 18 percent. That number jumps to 53 percent in Delaware and 52 percent in Virginia. Nationally, the average 4-year graduation rate at public universities is 34 percent.
Too many institutions, even in the highest-performing states, are failing to help students complete their degrees on time. The Martin Center outlines cost-effective and evidence-based reforms that states and institutions can undertake to boost student achievement.
