CSU’s 4-year grad rate lags
Only about 1 in 5 students hits that target; system aims to nearly double rate by 2025
SACRAMENTO — Just 21 percent of the students who enrolled at a California State University campus in 2012 graduated in four years, far fewer than the system would like.
Jeff Gold, assistant vice chancellor of student success initiatives, research and innovation presented the new figure during a state Senate committee hearing Wednesday afternoon.
Even though the number is low, it’s still up from 19 percent the previous year and higher than the 13 percent graduation rate in 2000. Yet it remains significantly shy of the 40 percent four-year graduation rate the university has set as a target for 2025.
Last year, the system adopted a series of target graduation rates for 2025, including a 70 percent six-year graduation rate for students who enroll as freshmen, and for transfer students, a 45 percent twoyear graduation rate and an 85 percent four-year graduation rate. Currently, Gold said, the six-year graduation rate is 59 percent, and 33 percent of transfer students earn a degree two years later, while 74 have a degree four years later.
There’s clearly work to do, but Gold insisted the system is “not looking for incremental progress.”
In an attempt to meet the new targets, campuses are making changes to how they operate. At Sacramento State, for instance, fewer than 13 percent of freshmen were taking at least 15 units a semester in 2010, which is what students need to take to finish in four years. Now, almost 65 percent take that many units. The school rewards students who take 30 units a
year by offering discounts on summer tuition and increased advising. The school has hired more advisers, added course sections and offered classes over the weekend for students who work during the day.
Other campuses are taking similar steps. Chico State, for instance, is redesigning courses and spending more time crunching data so it knows which students are at risk of falling behind and can reach out.
Of course, all of this requires funding, and campus leaders at the hearing pressed lawmakers on the need for funding. “Student success is not free,” Gold said.
The system is set to raise tuition for the first time in six years this fall, a move that has drawn criticism from students and families who say they are being priced out of higher education.
Funding isn’t the only issue. Sen. Steve Glazer, DOrinda, said students resist when he encourages them to graduate in four years. “I almost feel like they feel like I’m telling them what to do,” he said.
Many students have to work to support themselves or families, and some are dealing with issues like homelessness or worrying about just having enough food to eat. CSU says it recognizes that, but wants to do what it can to help as many students as possible earn a degree.
While it remains to be seen whether the system can meet its target goals, officials said they are optimistic. “A lot of us,” Glazer said, “look for low bars just to get over, and that’s not what CSU is doing here.”