Debt and degree used to measure college success

By Communications staff, Washington State University

Education Sector, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank today announced a study titled “Debt to Degree: A New Way of Measuring College Success.”  

The report notes: “The American higher education system is plagued by two chronic problems: dropouts and debt. Barely half of the students who start college get a degree within six years, and graduation rates at less-selective colleges often hover at 25 percent or less. At the same time, student loan debt is at an all-time high, recently passing credit card debt in total volume.

“Loan default rates have risen sharply in recent years, consigning a growing number of students to years of financial misery. In combination, drop-outs and debt are a major threat to the nation’s ability to help students become productive, well-educated citizens.”
 
Both The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed have reports on the study today, with some calling the study as “flawed.

Education Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that says its mission is to “challenges conventional thinking in education policy.”

Click the following links to see the report or to get more information about Education Sector.