Which carries more weight in selecting a college: graduation rate or avg cost of attending?

[ucbalumnus]

@WildLupine

I think there is a danger in assuming that the graduation rate applies to other people’s children, but not one’s own, as it suggests that low graduation rates are the fault of the students.

Since college graduation rates tend to closely track incoming student characteristics (academic credentials, traditional/nontraditional, etc.), this appears to be the dominant factor.

@WildLupine

Sometimes a low graduation rate also reflects how available courses are and how much attention is given to students’ needs. There are schools where students simply cannot register for the courses that are needed because they are full or scheduled so they can’t accommodate other needed classes, or where there is limited advising, which can lead to students making bad choices when they can’t get the classes they need.

While such factors can impact graduation rates, they need to be considered in comparison to the expected graduation rates based on student characteristics. Note that another college-based factor, if the college attracts a large number of students from non-wealthy families, is how good the college’s financial aid is (affordability issues are among the most common reasons for dropping out of college), though that is more easily evaluated individually (with NPCs before application, and actual financial aid offer after admission, if admitted).