Choosing a College? Top 6 Stats That Really Matter
The NY Times ran an interesting article about wading through college stats. Statistics rarely tell the whole story, they’re misleading, and they don’t measure what’s important. What do statistics really tell you about a school? Are they even useful?
Here are the top statistics to pay attention to (or not):
1. Average Class Size at 25
Read the fine print. Ask how often you will have small classes.
2. Majority Percentage of Full-Time Faculty
Disregard # of PhDs on staff.
3. Retention Rate Above 80%
4. Average SAT Scores
Note that most averages are slightly inflated.
5. Diversity
6. Graduation Rates
Graduation rates should be above 55% for students graduating in four years. 75% for students graduating in five or six years. Disregard statistics for students who get jobs within a year of graduation.
Read the full article here.
