Keep in mind, those stats don't include transfer students, since a university can't track what happens to students who leave in order to go someplace else (that might be a sign of the original school's success)

My niece STEM major just graduated from VT in 3 years. She took some classes over the summer at her local community college. She got credit for many of her APs.

She did not co-op.

Working closely with your advisor, department chair and dean of undergraduate studies if need be, there is no reason why you cannot get a B.A. or B.S. in virtually any field in 4 years. You need to make it clear to your advisor that that is the goal and needs to happen.

There are tons of different reason for this.

Some students work and can't take on 5 classes at a time.

Big flag ship universities have 3 credit classes and some "elite" schools have 4 credit classes, meaning they flag ship students have to take more classes to graduate.

Some kids change majors and need the extra time to graduate.

2/3 of students go part-time at some point due to financial issues.

People get pregnant.

Anonymous wrote:My DD is finishing up her junior year. She is a STEM student. We have been saving our whole lives to pay for her college and currently have 210K planning on 60 or 70K a year. Figured we could save most of the 4th year tuition by the time she gets there.

That said I recently discovered that it is common for many STEM students to take 6 years to graduate college.

How did I miss that?

Did you all know that 6 years to graduate college is a thing?

The stats include people taking breaks from college. For example, DC is a co-op student right know with his university. He is at a work site for 8 months. It will push his gradautation at least one semester. Two if he decides to do another long stint. It also counts those students who change their majors and need another semester or two to graduate in the new major. It also includes those students who come from HS not like the DCUM area wher they do not come in with many basic credits and need another semester or two to get through all the requirements. It slo includes those students (and several of our DCs’ friends are like this), who take a year off between years. Either to regroup and figure out a different major, or work to get more money to pay for college, or to travel on the cheap before retuning to college.

Plus, a large segment does get their degrees in 4 years.

Anonymous wrote:I think it largely depends on the student and the college attended. I have one DS who gradated from a SLAC with a STEM degree in 3.5 years. Only one of his friends with STEM degrees took longer than 4 years and it was because the friend started off at a community college and not all of his credits transferred. I have another DS at a big state university finishing his third year. He is a double major in two STEM fields and is confident he will graduate in 4 years.

+1 Double STEM major and could theoretically finish in 3 years or add a masters in year 4. So far though class registration has cooperated.

I think it largely depends on the student and the college attended. I have one DS who gradated from a SLAC with a STEM degree in 3.5 years. Only one of his friends with STEM degrees took longer than 4 years and it was because the friend started off at a community college and not all of his credits transferred. I have another DS at a big state university finishing his third year. He is a double major in two STEM fields and is confident he will graduate in 4 years.

My niece is an engineering major and is cooping so she falls into the 6 years scenario. This is a good thing though as the best paying full time positions look for serious work experience. Her parents are not paying more than 4 years tuition but housing and food for the extra two years did add to expenses as the coop salary didn't handle 100%.

It does seem like some STEM major students take longer to graduate. It doesn’t have to take over 4 years, but it can take longer if a student has to re-take classes to get a better grade or because they failed or withdrew (seems more common in STEM classes), or if they change majors or programs and need to get caught up. 6 years is probably too long, but 4 years + 1 extra semester or 5 full years is common.

My DS just graduated (in 4 years). A couple of his STEM friends are doing an extra semester but that's because they took off a semester to coop. So their parents are still paying for 4 years of college, not 4.5.

6 years of being in school for a BA/BS is not the norm. Taking a little longer to graduate because of working/co-oping is a little more common.

Yes it is the new 6 for multiple reasons.

Colleges have made it particularly hard to secure classes each semester, many going on into summer or Fall to graduate. So that is considered 5 years. If the college is only offered in Spring, you need to wait longer. It sucks and it happens often.

Many STEM fields have co-op working programs. Some kids can do one and still graduate on time, but most do not. Some kids do co-ops yearly and graduate in 6. You do NOT pay for college tuition during that time though.

Some kids drop a semester, withdrawl from courses, decide to take less credits and work more, etc...

Other kids transfer from community college, but need 3 years instead of 2 to get thru all the requirements.

Many kids dual major and realize it usually takes longer.

3:2 and 4:1 BA/BS programs are more popular too.

Many kids change majors which adds requirements.


But you can still get done a regular BA or BS in 4 years, most of the time, if you stay on the same course and focus.

After comparing research papers from the late eighties and today, classes are significantly harder and I don't foresee how a serious student is expected to work PT and attend classes FT. If the student is working while in school, 6 years would be a logical timeframe.

Is a combined BS/MS program? Or the student switching majors late? Or going to school part time?

Unless there are unusual circumstances, 4 years is still the norm for undergrad.

Unless I missed something a BS still requires 120 hours which is doable carrying a full load for 4 years even in a STEM major since many of those courses are 4 credits vs 3.

So for a 6 yr plan, I’d want to know is making up those additional 60 hrs. Is it a combined BS/MS? Is the 6 yrs due to a work experience. Or is it because the students aren’t carrying full loads?

My DD is finishing up her junior year. She is a STEM student. We have been saving our whole lives to pay for her college and currently have 210K planning on 60 or 70K a year. Figured we could save most of the 4th year tuition by the time she gets there.

That said I recently discovered that it is common for many STEM students to take 6 years to graduate college.

How did I miss that?

Did you all know that 6 years to graduate college is a thing?