The College of William and Mary tied for fourth in graduation rates in the “most competitive” category within the “South” region in a study released yesterday by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C.
The College shared the fourth slot with Vanderbilt University. Duke University ranked first, followed by a tie between Davidson College and the University of Virginia for second.
The study compared the graduation rates of universities with similar selectiveness. The researchers concluded that many colleges and universities do not have high graduation rates, which worried the authors of the report.
“This is not just a matter of importance for students and families,” the researchers wrote. “President Obama hopes to increase dramatically the number of college-goers and is asking taxpayers to help foot the bill. If we are to adopt such a course, receiving good value on our investment requires that students receive quality instruction and earn degrees in a timely manner. At many institutions in line to benefit from billions of dollars in increased federal aid, it is hard to be confident that these conditions will be met.”
A PDF of the report is available here.
