Why You Should Pay More Attention to College Graduation Rates Rather Than Retention Rates

picture of graduates representing difference between graduation rates and freshman retention ratesAnyone who reads my blog for a while will realize that I have a thing about college graduation rates. One of the “50’s” in my 50-50 schools is graduation rates. And I can’t say it’s just something I started paying attention to as my son got closer to college. My master’s report was on high school graduation rates. Yeah, I was playing with graduation rates before most people ever heard of them. So no one should be surprised that I want to be clear about the difference between graduation rates and freshman retention rates and why it matters.

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50-50 Highlights: Colleges for Transfer Students 2018

college student representing colleges for transfer students

Picture of college for transfer studentsAs the cost of attending state flagship universities passes $30,000, many families are considering the financial benefits of starting at a community college and then transfer to a 4-year university. Combining living at home with paying only a third to half of the tuition of a 4 year public institution represents significant savings. However, those savings will exist only if students actual path in real life follows the plan–and that is far from being certain.

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Most Expensive Public Universities for Out-of-State Students

A pink piggy bank wearing a graduation cap is placed on top of scattered dollar bills, symbolizing the financial burden faced by students attending some of the most expensive out-of-state public universities.

sad piggy bank representing expensive out of state universitiesMost people understand that private colleges have a much higher price tag than public universities which is why many never consider private schools. This is a shame since there are some private colleges that offer great opportunities along with generous financial aid. What a lot of people don’t realize is that out-of-state public institutions generally have the worst characteristics of both public and private colleges. They have the high price of private colleges with the limited financial aid of public universities.

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50-50 Highlights: Colleges for Asian Students

Four young adults, possibly exploring colleges for Asian students, sit on the grass, engaging with laptops and a tablet in an outdoor setting.

Group of asian students representing colleges for asian studentsAsians and Pacific Islanders represent 5.7% of the general population but make-up 6.6% of all undergraduates. There are two to four times more Asians at the most competitive schools than in the general population. Asian students make up 21% of undergraduates at Stanford and 19% at Harvard. Because of this “over-representation” and general “model minority” myth, Asian students are often perceived as doing well no matter where they attend school.

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50-50 Highlights: 89 Best Bets for Affordable Public Universities

A person wearing graduation robes and a cap holds five $100 bills against a green textured background, celebrating the achievement made possible by affordable public universities.

female college graduate holding moeny representing affordable public universitiesLet me start by saying you never know how much a college is actually going to cost until you get the college’s financial aid award. That’s when you really know if a college is affordable. But there are indicators that some colleges are more likely to be affordable than others. Knowing these indicators mean that you can make sure you apply to colleges more likely to meet your financial needs. That doesn’t guarantee they will because we are talking averages here. But it does improve your chances.

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Why Your College List Should Start with Your Flagship University

A young woman in glasses and a white top smiles at the camera, holding a green folder that contains a list of flagship universities. Several people stand blurred in the background.

Student standing at state flagship universityLong time readers of my blog know that I think that the start of any college search should begin with estimating your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This simply sets the baseline for how much you should expect to pay. The next step should be looking up your state flagship university. Why? Because while your EFC sets your financial expectations, your state flagship serves as the ideal reference point for adding and comparing the schools you add to your final college list.

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How to Find Colleges that Give Tuition Coupons

Person typing on a laptop displaying a shopping website with a coupon code entry and "Shop Now" button; a cup of coffee sits on the table beside the laptop, perhaps considering using a tuition coupon for added savings.

woman entering coupon code representing colleges that give tuition couponsWhat, you say you’ve never seen a tuition coupon? Just because nobody has ever actually held one in her hands doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. You know how you start getting coupons for movers and home stores when you change your address? Or after you visit a website online, you start getting discount offers from them in your Facebook feed? Well, it’s possible to get a coupon for $10,000 or $15,000 off your college tuition if you pick the right college.

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What if it didn’t matter what college you went to?

A person with a red backpack walks alone on an empty road towards a bright sunrise, surrounded by grasslands, lost in thought, wondering, does it matter which college you go to?

student walking on road representing if college mattersIt’s the new year and I’m in a sort of philosophical mood. I just finished reviewing the most popular posts on my Facebook page and it got me thinking–what if it didn’t matter what college you went to? Because it seems to me that the posts that get the most traction have to do with making sure your kid is successful but it doesn’t necessarily mean going to the most prestigious college. So try it as a thought experiment, how would your student’s (and your family’s) life be different if it didn’t matter which college your student went to?

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Looking for a list of colleges that…?

Woman looking for college lists on compuster

woman looking at a list of colleges on a camputerIf you’re planning to create a college list, take a look at some existing lists before starting. It’s possible that you’ll find a couple that can save you a lot of time. If nothing else, a quick perusal might generate some new ideas or bring up some issues you hadn’t considered. Best of all-most of the lists are free.

This is will be an on-going project so be sure to check back for updates.

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