Animal House a reality: 7 years of college down the drain

There were some troublesome statistics listed in a cover article in the Orlando Sentinel this past weekend; especially for parents who are getting ready to send their kids off to college (like my wife and I in the next two years).

Of the students who start at FAMU (Florida A&M University) as a freshman, only 12% finish their undergraduate degree within four years.

A lot of other Florida state universities are not much better (in fact, it's frightening):

FAU 15%, FIU 19%, UNF 20%, UWF 20%, UCF 35%, FSU 56%, UF 65%.

We have started to plant the seed-our expectation for our kids, where ever they go, will be to finish their undergraduate degree within four years.

It's hard to know what's more impressive; finishing an undergraduate degree at a school with a higher graduation rate or for example, being the just one in five who finish an undergraduate degree within four years some where else.

This is one more variable that comes into play when looking at which schools have the best chance of helping to meet our kids needs. It should be interesting.