<p>Hey so i was on a college website looking up info for some colleges im interested in, and it said that the 4-yr graduation rate for CMU was 67.5%. Im kinda curios as to why this is so low. Even Cornell has a higher graduation rate which has a reputation as being one of the hardest schools to graduate from. Could someone plz tell me why?
Here is the site i got my info from, just in case anyone wanted it:<a href="http://www.collegeresults.org/search1b.a%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegeresults.org/search1b.a</a></p>
<p>What is the four-year graduation rate?
69.1% of Carnegie Mellon students graduate in four years. Many students also take part in five-year programs which include Architecture, 5th year Scholar program and 3-2 Engineering/Business program.</p>
<p>The low 4-year graduation rate probably has nothing to do with not getting or passing required classes. Architecture requires a 5-year degree, and there are many popular 5-year programs like 5th-year scholars, 3-2 Engineering/Business programs, and five-year integrated bachelor’s/master’s programs.</p>
<p>This question was asked at one of the admissions sessions I attended a few years ago.
They pointed out that this was the norm for tech type schools- students leave and go to work/internship and return, 5 year programs.
They were also honest and said that money in the recent bad economy was a contributing factor- parents’ college savings were worth less, people were downsized and some students had to take breaks. But this would not account for 30%.</p>
<p>25% of students in engineering nationally change majors after one year of study. It’s not an easy field.</p>
<p>What’s MIT, Cornell, Stanford, CalTech, Michigan’s rates for engineering?
I would speculate we are not statistically different.</p>
<p>CMU:
4 yr - 67.5%
5 yr - 81.9%
6 yr - 84.5%</p>
<p>Cornell:
4 yr - 85.3%
5 yr - 90.9%
6 yr - 91.9%</p>
<p>cost cannot be an issue. all schools compared are in the same cost range. It is difficult to figure out what to make of it.</p>
<p>A LOT of CIT and SCS students elect to finish their masters at CMU.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/Students/gps1/explore/survey/pdf/meche.pdf[/url]”>http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/Students/gps1/explore/survey/pdf/meche.pdf</a></p>
<p>MechE as an example, 23 MechE undergrads chose to stay at CMU to complete their masters degrees.</p>
<p>Folks,</p>
<p>I did not visit this thread for a while but have some more info on grad rates on collegeresults online.org:</p>
<p>4 yr grad rates for the following are:</p>
<p>Lafayette: 87%
Lehigh: 77%
CMU: 67.5%</p>
<p>I understand the internships may play a role but do so many student go that the grad rates drops so low? Also someone had mentioned that because of the bad economy some students may have dropped out - would’nt the same apply to lafayette and lehigh - they are in the same price range?</p>
<p>67.5% is alarming. Do any of you know of another thread where we can ask this question of current students?</p>
<p>My son wouldn’t show up in the four year graduation rate but here’s his story-- he double majored (CS and IS) and got a master’s degree in MISM, which took five years. Had he gone to Lafayette, to end up with equivalent degrees, he’d have gone, say, 4 years to Lafayette then at least 1 1/2 years to grad school (not at Lafayette which I believe is solely undergrad). Same with Lehigh which has no MISM or equivalent (does have CS grad programs). Net result: going to CMU saved him a semester, but he’s nowhere to be found in CMU’s four year grad rate. I might add financial aid continued unaltered through his fifth year.</p>
<p>Besides Mech E, also check out ECE stats. Used to be (may still be) with a 3.0 you could stay at CMU for a fifth year masters. Many, possibly most, ECE’s do this. I just checked…51 ECE’s class of 2011 stayed for the master’s. Assuming about 1300 getting bachelor’s a year that 51 represents a full 4% of the entire graduating class and that’s just one grad program. </p>
<p>Lafayette’s 4 yr rate may be high, and this is just a guess, because it’s a an LAC where, although science and engineering programs exist, liberal arts majors are more common (not as rigorous).</p>
<p>2332clk is correct.
MechE in DS time, a fifth year was ~30%, and that was in a year where graduates were being given big hiring bonuses.</p>
<p>2331clk…thanks for your feedback. It makes sense. What is MSIM? Also, since your son went to CMU what is his opinion of the co-op program there?</p>
<p>You mentioned that he got financial aid thru his 5th yr. I am trying to figure out if my son will qualify for ‘non-need based aid’ as we do not pass the federal or institutional test for need based aid? Can you share his profile or suggest how I can go about finding out if he will qualify? or does he have to apply and try his luck?</p>
<p>Js, MISM is masters in information systems management. CMU has a number of amps (amp
= accelerated masters program), MISM being one of them. Don’t know about non-need based aid. Son’s was need based. The key to retaining that aid till the end…finish the undergrad and the grad degrees the last semester together. </p>
<p>My son didn’t participate in the co-op. But, at least at that time (05 grad) there were lots of opportunities for internships or research. One summer he worked for an on campus research center and was offered year round work but he declined. The next summer he had an internship at a NYC investment bank.</p>