Colleges and Universities 
How Much Education Do We Have?

 

For students who started college in 1989-90, careful tracking was done through 1994 to measure how many were successful in completing college programs. This national tracking of student 'retention' is very helpful as it can be compared to the retention rates of individual colleges. The following data was collected.
 
  In College No Degree Not In College No Degree  Certificate  Associates  Bachelor's
BY GENDER
Men 15.6% 38.4% 11.3% 10.2% 24.5%
Women 11.2 35.4 14.4 12.2 26.9
BY RACIAL ETHNICITY
Native American 21.5 28.0 22.8 11.9 15.8
Asian American 19.8 25.6 11.4 8.4 34.8
African American 13.5 44.7 16.1 8.8 16.9
Hispanic American 18.7 36.3 15.7 11.5 17.8
White 12.3 36.5 12.3 11.6 27.3
BY INCOME
Low 9.0 53.1 23.2 8.9 6.1
Middle 14.4 40.2 15.2 11.4 18.7
High 13.5 26.9 6.6 11.9 41.1
TOTAL FOR ALL 13.3 36.8 12.9 11.2 25.8
According to the data, Asian American females from high-income families are the most likely to complete their college degree while Native American males from low-income families are the least likely to do so. In considering retention rates, nationally 63.2% of the students starting college in 1989-90, either completed their program by 1994 or were still in college (13.3%). Colleges with retention rates below 60% should be asked why. Family income makes a dramatic difference in retention rates. Low income families are dependent on financial aid that may or may not be available.

For lower income families from racial-ethnic groups under-represented in higher education, the college's ability to promote student retention may be critical. Be sure to ask the college admission office for their retention number long before making a college decision.

 

Crime on Campus

How safe are college campuses today? In 1998, four-year colleges with over 5,000 students enrolled were required to provide crime statistics in nine categories. The following is a summary of this report for colleges in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, in 1996, reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education, 5/8/98.
Washington Central WA Univ. Eastern WA Univ. Seattle University University of Wash. Washington State Univ. Western WA Univ.
Enrollment 1996 8,510 8,078 5,988 33,996 19,571 10,708
Murder 0 0 0 0 0 0
Forcible Sex Offenses 1 0 0 0 1 0
Non-Forcible Sex Offenses 0 0 0 0 0 0
Robbery 1 1 0 2 0 0
Aggravated Assault 0 2 0 8 4 0
Burglary 26 1 17 97 45 18
Motor-Vehicle Theft 1 0 0 22 3 8
Liquor-Law Violations 75 13 0 100 151 73
Drug 29 16 0 26 20 5
Weapons 0 0 0 3 2 0
 
Oregon and Idaho Oregon State Univ. Portland State Univ. University of Oregon Boise State University Idaho State Univ. Univ. of Idaho
Enrollment 1996 14,449 15,600 17,470 15,543 12,041 11,727
Murder 0 0 0 0 0 0
Forcible Sex Offenses 11 1 3 0 0 1
Non-Forcible Sex Offenses 0 0 7 0 0 0
Robbery 3 2 2 0 0 0
Aggravated Assault 11 9 1 0 1 0
Burglary 22 15 76 26 4 11
Motor-Vehicle Theft 5 1 9 0 0 3
Liquor-Law Violations 132 0 53 18 29 91
Drug  39 4 21 23 5 30
Weapons  2 0 2 0 0 3
Comparisons among colleges must be undertaken with caution. Urban and rural setting lend themselves to different types of crime. Colleges with more professional police departments may be able to pursue crimes more agressively.
 
Fall 1997 College Freshman - Views on Crime Related Issues
College freshman were surveyed in Fall 1997 regarding the following issues. Percentages reflect those who agreed with the statement.
  Total Men Women
The death penalty should be abolished. 23.7% 20.9% 26.1%
Marijuana should be legalized. 35.2 39.0 32.0
The Federal government should do more to control the sale of handguns 81.3 70.8 90.1
People should not obey laws that violate their personal values. 37.1 42.4 32.6
There is too much concern in courts for the rights of criminals. 70.2 70.6 69.9