Graduating from college in four years is no longer the norm; many students are taking an extra semester or more to graduate.
“I went a whole first year as a nursing major, so it was a lot of science-based classes and a lot of those didn’t transfer when I switched my major to marketing,” says Hillary Mortellaro, 23, who graduated from San Diego State University in May after completing a fifth year.
Around 19 percent of full-time students at a non-flagship state school and 36 percent of those attending a flagship university earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, according to a report published by Complete College America, a nonprofit group based in Indianapolis. That same report found that only 50 of more than 580 public institutions graduate their students on time.
“The smaller, more specialized schools graduate their students at 80 to 90 percent on time,” says Sean Moore, founder of college financial planning service SMART College Funding. “A lot of the huge schools don’t have the bandwidth to get all those students through on time.”
Carleton College and Georgetown University, for example, graduate 91 percent of their students on time — the highest among 1,235 colleges and universities for four-year graduation rates, according to data submitted to U.S. News in an annual survey.
College advisers say that other than college choice, the top two reasons for not graduating on time are from switching majors or transferring schools.
[Here are 10 things prospective college transfer students need to know.]
“Either one of those can set you back tremendously,” Moore says. “Changing schools can be even bigger because not all the credits you took at your last school will transfer.”
An extra year of attendance is costly and might even set a student and their family back by an extra $18,598 at a public school or $26,815 at a private college, according to a recent NerdWallet Inc. study.
To save on the expense of an extra semester or two of college, here are a couple of tips for graduating on time.
1. Research your field of interest before college: “They need to do some research while they’re in high school about what they see themselves doing,” says Mortellaro, who says in hindsight she would have researched majors differently in high school. “It’s even better if you have a clear picture.”
The SDSU graduate, of Salinas, California, says prospective students can fill out career quizzes to identify possible fields of interest and ask to shadow someone in potential career choices for a day.
2. Take Advanced Placement courses: “If you can start in high school and pick up AP or IB courses, that will get you that much further ahead in your freshman year,” says Moore from SMART College Funding.
Most colleges and universities nationwide accept qualifying AP exam scores for college credit, and these credits can help students save on tuition and time in school, experts say.
[Learn how earning college credit in high school can slash undergrad costs.]
3. Compare retention and graduation rates: Every school has to publish their graduation numbers, college experts say.
“It’s important to look at how many return, and second to that are the graduation numbers,” says Moore. “You’re going to have to bring your A-game to a school that’s only graduating a fifth of their students on time.”
Angalena Malavenda, 22, a rising fifth-year senior at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania, says her graduation date was delayed because she transferred during her junior year.
“Had I stayed, I would have graduated on time,” says Malavenda, who decided against returning to Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, after her sophomore year. “The reason for my extra semester was because I transferred to a more difficult school that required extra core major courses out of me than my previous college.”
Malavenda says the transfer cost her to miss out on some grant money, typically awarded to freshmen, and that she’s had to borrow additional student loans.
[Know your risk factors for delaying graduation and accumulating more debt.]
4. Plan on a 15-hour semester in college: Only 50 percent of students at four-year institutions take 15 or more credit hours a semester — the needed amount at most schools to graduate on time, according to Complete College America.
“Lo and behold, it’s 15 credits that keeps you on track for four years,” says Jim Rawlins, director of admissions and assistant vice president of enrollment management at the University of Oregon, who adds that students who take a full load during their first semester are more likely to maintain that pattern for the rest of their time at college.
But there are some disciplines, such as engineering or accounting, that take longer than four years, even with a full course load, college experts say.
It takes so many course hours to be accredited for many STEM majors, says Rick Clark, the director of undergraduate admission at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “There’s no fluff in that all.”
5. Map out your courses every semester: College experts say that many students aren’t enrolling in the necessary courses to graduate on time.
After switching majors, Mortellaro says she mapped out every class that she wanted to take and compared it with her school’s college planner to stay on track.
The recent graduate recommends for incoming freshmen to think ahead, saying: “Plan out your classes for each year ahead, i.e. freshmen year, so you know you can get it done in the amount of time you want.”
Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center.
More from U.S. News
5 Reasons for College Students Not to Transfer
Transfer Students Feel the Pinch When Money Is Tight
Transfer Students: 8 Things You Need to Know
5 Tips to Avoid an Extra Year of College originally appeared on usnews.com
