And some students enroll for personal or career enhancement, without intending to earn a degree. Other complicating factors are increasing college costs and the strength of the economy. When high-paying jobs are relatively easy to find, some students opt to work for a while rather than go to school. Further, ACT data reveal a growing disparity between students' expectations for college and their readiness for college-level work. A lack of structured assistance for students at lower levels of preparedness may result in increased numbers of dropouts or transfers.
Record lows in bold.
1984 data unavailable. Students attending two-year colleges also continue to leave in less than a year at greater rates. These institutions report that a new high of 44.6 percent of first-year students did not return for a second year, an increase of 1.4 percent since 1983. Private institutions have contributed slightly more than public institutions to the increase. Record highs in bold.