http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/2012/10/02/10-colleges-with-the-highest-4-year-graduation-rates

Swarthmore College (PA)	91.3%	3, National Liberal Arts Colleges
Haverford College (PA)	91.1%	9, National Liberal Arts Colleges
Pomona College (CA)	90.8%	4, National Liberal Arts Colleges
University of Notre Dame (IN)	90.5%	17, National Universities
Georgetown University (DC)	90.1%	21, National Universities
Columbia University (NY)	89.4%	4, National Universities
College of the Holy Cross (MA)	89.2%	32, National Liberal Arts Colleges
Williams College (MA)	89.0%	1, National Liberal Arts Colleges
United States Naval Academy (MD)	88.8%	14, National Liberal Arts Colleges
Yale University (CT)	88.8%	3, National Universities

I figured a 2 year community college would be #1.

He's just trying to show info about the Naval Academy. I'm not surprised it's up there but I also see the product of the Academy and shake my head daily. You can tell who was someone's son/daughter and got into the Academy that way.

Ytowngirlinfla;1288371 wrote:He's just trying to show info about the Naval Academy. I'm not surprised it's up there but I also see the product of the Academy and shake my head daily. You can tell who was someone's son/daughter and got into the Academy that way.

That applies to a lot of schools, especially the "best" that have a lot of legacy admits.

Somewhat related, but colleges really need to review requirements to let kids get thru in 4 years. As I think about my undergrad, after general/program requirements and my major requirements, I really didn't have a lot of room for exploration or "indecisiveness".

The idea is they give you 5 or 6 options or whatever for a laundry list of requirements. But what if I just want a degree an employer values, and then time to go in-depth on 15th century art?

Point being, I think colleges really overrate the value of their "liberal arts" requirements. I would guess the majority of students ignore it, hate it, and take the approach of what is the easiest and/or most convenient (to my schedule) to fill the requirement?

Just seems to me time to graduate is growing, and I think it has as much to do with program structures as costs. Sort of like electronics - they have a bunch of bells and whistles they promote that doesn't add anything but price. I think schools are doing the same thing (in the interest of "differentiation" and "value") and making it very difficult for a student to finish in 4 years if they don't have a laser focus.