Many quit to work full time, go abroad to study, get married. And then, like Vallez, many return. A federal survey begun in 1980 followed 10th graders until 1993, to about age 30. Roughly 40 percent to 50 percent of students fail to finish in five years. His study Answers in the Toolbox released last year exploded popular notions about college attendance.
People are in and out of the system in a long period of time.
That is our new pattern of life. More students, including many with less money and less educational preparation than in previous generations. In fact, many can only afford college by alternating work and school. School can also take longer when students switch majors and need to earn more credits. Some undergraduate programs, such as in pharmacy, require five years or more.