<p>It's not low, relative to the national average, but compared to its peers(like Carleton) it is. Only 81% manage to graduate? Over 20% transfer after the first year? Why?</p>
<p>Wow, where did you get your data? According to College Board and College Data 93% of Macalester students return for their sophomore year. Carleton comes in slightly higher at 96%. The graduation percentage you quote is actually students graduating in 4 years. At Macalester that figure is 79.1%, for Carleton it is 80.7%. A negligible difference at best. The remainder of the students do graduate it just takes more then 4 years.</p>
<p>Actually, Carleton's four year graduation rate is now at 87%. Not sure about Macalester's, but it should be higher as well.</p>
<p>Guess it depends whose stats you are looking at but either way the OP's were way off.</p>
<p>Anyonem ind sending some links?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.collegeboard.org%5B/url%5D">www.collegeboard.org</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.collegedata.com%5B/url%5D">www.collegedata.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.macalester.edu%5B/url%5D">www.macalester.edu</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.carleton.edu%5B/url%5D">www.carleton.edu</a></p>
<p>This is very basic info which can be found on all kinds of sites.</p>
<p>I think when someone transfers they count as having not graduated. </p>
<p>However, one can transfer for many reasons, most of which are not academic, and I would think that nearly all Mac transfers do graduate, but at another school.</p>