Why is UMBC’s graduation rate so low?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. Is it low? Anyhow, my kid did well and was incredibly happy there. He walked out with a double major in STEM and so did all his friends. I think we need to focus on the individual kid. Not the HS, not the college. Great stats of the HS and college does not really matter if you are not reflected positively in these stats. What matters is that your student walks out with many more options than what he had going in. I think UMBC does that very successfully for most students.

On the other hand, it is very much a nerd school.

I don't think that's true. Being a nerd school is an honor and I don't think UMBC has earned that. Not even close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most students that drop out do do for financial reasons.

Bullshit. Most drop out or fail out because they had no business being admitted. ACT scores in the teens.

Interestingly, UMBC's average SAT scores are about 100 points higher than Towson's (1251 for UMBC vs. 1133 for Towson). Yet Towson's 6 year graduation rate (74%) is better than UMBC's (67%).

I wonder if Towson attracts wealthier kids, though. It's probably more residential, for instance. It has a pretty campus and is in a nice suburb. This shows that people don't have to have smarts to graduate, they just need money!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. Is it low? Anyhow, my kid did well and was incredibly happy there. He walked out with a double major in STEM and so did all his friends. I think we need to focus on the individual kid. Not the HS, not the college. Great stats of the HS and college does not really matter if you are not reflected positively in these stats. What matters is that your student walks out with many more options than what he had going in. I think UMBC does that very successfully for most students.

On the other hand, it is very much a nerd school.

I don't think that's true. Being a nerd school is an honor and I don't think UMBC has earned that. Not even close.

I know nerds (in a good sense) who have graduated from there. Sorry you don't!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most students that drop out do do for financial reasons.

Bullshit. Most drop out or fail out because they had no business being admitted. ACT scores in the teens.

Interestingly, UMBC's average SAT scores are about 100 points higher than Towson's (1251 for UMBC vs. 1133 for Towson). Yet Towson's 6 year graduation rate (74%) is better than UMBC's (67%).

I wonder if Towson attracts wealthier kids, though. It's probably more residential, for instance. It has a pretty campus and is in a nice suburb. This shows that people don't have to have smarts to graduate, they just need money!

Towson attracts lots of wealthy students from from NJ and Long Island. All of the interns at my school are from Towson and 90% of them are from wealthy families in those two places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. Is it low? Anyhow, my kid did well and was incredibly happy there. He walked out with a double major in STEM and so did all his friends. I think we need to focus on the individual kid. Not the HS, not the college. Great stats of the HS and college does not really matter if you are not reflected positively in these stats. What matters is that your student walks out with many more options than what he had going in. I think UMBC does that very successfully for most students.

On the other hand, it is very much a nerd school.

I don't think that's true. Being a nerd school is an honor and I don't think UMBC has earned that. Not even close.

I know nerds (in a good sense) who have graduated from there. Sorry you don't!

Stupid comment from a stupid parent of a stupid student. Says a lot about UMBC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most students that drop out do do for financial reasons.

Bullshit. Most drop out or fail out because they had no business being admitted. ACT scores in the teens.

Interestingly, UMBC's average SAT scores are about 100 points higher than Towson's (1251 for UMBC vs. 1133 for Towson). Yet Towson's 6 year graduation rate (74%) is better than UMBC's (67%).

I wonder if Towson attracts wealthier kids, though. It's probably more residential, for instance. It has a pretty campus and is in a nice suburb. This shows that people don't have to have smarts to graduate, they just need money!

Towson attracts lots of wealthy students from from NJ and Long Island. All of the interns at my school are from Towson and 90% of them are from wealthy families in those two places.

I wouldn't say "lots." 12% of Towson is from out-of-state. It's 5% at UMBC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most students that drop out do do for financial reasons.

Bullshit. Most drop out or fail out because they had no business being admitted. ACT scores in the teens.

Interestingly, UMBC's average SAT scores are about 100 points higher than Towson's (1251 for UMBC vs. 1133 for Towson). Yet Towson's 6 year graduation rate (74%) is better than UMBC's (67%).

I wonder if Towson attracts wealthier kids, though. It's probably more residential, for instance. It has a pretty campus and is in a nice suburb. This shows that people don't have to have smarts to graduate, they just need money!

not sure why that is surprising? It's a hell of a lot easier to succeed in, and ultimately graduate from, college when you aren't worried about working 40 hours/week to pay tuition or help out at home, having to commute in from a long distance, know how to navigate the bureaucracy and deal with professors, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do hope that UMBC can improve their graduation rate. The school has so much going for it including an awesome president.

As UMCP is becoming increasingly selective, UMBC is bound to become the school that more and more quality students will choose when they don't get into UMCP.

This is OP, just catching up on the thread. I see many more kids in Bethesda choosing UMBC, even getting merit $$$, and living on campus. I think it will be much more like UMCP in five or so years. There is a higher percentage of kids living on campus as freshmen than the earlier numbers posted upstream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most students that drop out do do for financial reasons.

Bullshit. Most drop out or fail out because they had no business being admitted. ACT scores in the teens.

Interestingly, UMBC's average SAT scores are about 100 points higher than Towson's (1251 for UMBC vs. 1133 for Towson). Yet Towson's 6 year graduation rate (74%) is better than UMBC's (67%).

Exactly. That’s one reason I’m scratching my head. I tho k it may be because Towson has a higher percentage of full pay out of state students - think NJ kids looking for an alternative to their local state option.

[Anonymous]

What's with UMBC hater pp? What can cause someone to put down a college that they have no interest, that we can see, in?

[Anonymous]

Towson attracts lots of education and business majors. UMBC attracts stem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do hope that UMBC can improve their graduation rate. The school has so much going for it including an awesome president.

As UMCP is becoming increasingly selective, UMBC is bound to become the school that more and more quality students will choose when they don't get into UMCP.

This is OP, just catching up on the thread. I see many more kids in Bethesda choosing UMBC, even getting merit $$$, and living on campus. I think it will be much more like UMCP in five or so years. There is a higher percentage of kids living on campus as freshmen than the earlier numbers posted upstream.

The number of students living on campus is the lowest it has been in a decade. From CDS:
Percent freshman living in college-owned housing:
2018: 69%
2017: 70%
2016: 74%
2015: 72%
2014: 72%
2013: 71%
2012: 75%
2011: 72%
2010: 75%
2009: 72%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do hope that UMBC can improve their graduation rate. The school has so much going for it including an awesome president.

As UMCP is becoming increasingly selective, UMBC is bound to become the school that more and more quality students will choose when they don't get into UMCP.

This is OP, just catching up on the thread. I see many more kids in Bethesda choosing UMBC, even getting merit $$$, and living on campus. I think it will be much more like UMCP in five or so years. There is a higher percentage of kids living on campus as freshmen than the earlier numbers posted upstream.

Like UMCP in five years? In what way?