Students Take More Than Four Years to Graduate With Bachelor's Degree

How long will it take you to earn your degree? A bachelor's degree which used to take four years to finish now typically takes five or six years to earn.

"Who knows how long I'll be here," says Joshua Varner, a social science education major. "I changed majors and now I have to do a graduate program to actually get a job and be able to do something with my degree." He is finishing his second year of college and has enough credits to qualify for junior standing.

According to the Ohio Board of Regent's Performance Report, the median time to get a bachelor's degree is 4.8 years at Wright State. In comparison, the statewide median is 4.3 years. At WSU 32 percent of non-transfer students graduate in 4 years or less, 32 percent graduate in four to five years, and 17 percent take more than six years to get a bachelor's degree.

The reasons that students are taking longer to graduate are unique for each student, and the reasons reflect multiple changes in today's society, said Pamela Wallace-Stroble. "A few decades ago most students pursuing their baccalaureate degrees attended college full-time and did not have other life-style commitments, but today's students are bala ncing their college education along with working a full or part-time job, being married (or divorced), raising a family and possibly caring for aging parents or other family members." There is no doubt that in this day and age college students are as busy as ever.

There are several reasons for adding time spent on campus, these include:

• Switching majors or taking a double major
• Transferring schools
• Working during college
• Leave of absences
• Postponing courses for one's major because a class is not offered or oversubscribed

"A very important strategy for students looking to minimize the time needed to earn degrees is for them to become actively involved in choosing an appropriate academic major by utilizing the career exploration tools available on-line or via the office of career services prior to and during their first year," said Stroble. She also said that baccalaureate degrees can still be completed in four years, but it is important to enhance the college academic experience. She said several things are critically important in order to complete a college degree in four years, these include:

• successfully completing 16-18 credit hours each quarter
• repeating courses quickly if not initially doing well
• not dropping or withdrawing from classes unless failing
• talking to professors and seeking the counsel of academic advisors

The academic advisors in University College look for multiple opportunities to assist students with reaching their academic goals and enhancing their success at Wright State University, said Stroble. "If we realize that a student is having difficulty earning appropriate grades or staying on track with their intended major, we'll work with the student in assessing their academic strengths."

Varner said it doesn't bother him being in school more than four years. "The only problem is the money issue. The longer you are here, the more in debt you get."

"I'm worried about paying for school, because the majority  of scholarships are only renewable for 4-years," said Janice Roberson, a modern language major, who will be going more than four years because she went to Japan for a university program. "It's easy to get stuck in student life, but now I want to get out in a hurry, get a job and start 'real life.'"