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.

UMBC is a huge stem school. I think it’s harder to get through that hence the graduation rate.

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%).

UMBC has more STEM majors which is definitely harder to finish in 4 years than LA majors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only about 60% of incoming students graduate. Of the 40% who leave, 12% transferred. Does anyone know why this rate is so high? I want to like my in-state options, but this is disappointing!

UMBC is a school that has a very large contingent of lower income, first-gen, commuters, and/or underrepresented minorities. They often have to work many hours, commute to school from a far distance, and face barriers to success that higher income students do not.

True but the school needs to figure it out. It serves no one when a kid doesn’t graduate and walks away in debt and having lost years of earnings potential.

Why does the school need to figure it out?

People what are ignorant thing there is something the school is doing that makes them graduate.

That is truly stupid and sad thing to say. The only good thing in college education is the fact that the college administrators have not yield to press to lower the bars unlike public school system administrators (e.g., MCPS). Colleges are supposed to be hard. Students are expected to work and work hard. There is nothing to “figure” out if kids think it’s an extension of HS.

I don't think that is true. Colleges live and die over rankings. They want a good 4 year grad rate. Weed out classes are not good for that.

Maybe you didn't go to college but colleges already have support systems in place to help kid who want help. If you think colleges, some how, need to do more, your kid should stay in HS. College is all about learning to be self-sufficient as well as gaining specialized knowledge. If your kid needs to hold momma and dadda's hands, he/she is not ready for college. I suggest you look into local CC. There's nothing wrong with that if kid needs more time.

Either find a way to help kids learn the material or find kids who can.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only about 60% of incoming students graduate. Of the 40% who leave, 12% transferred. Does anyone know why this rate is so high? I want to like my in-state options, but this is disappointing!

UMBC is a school that has a very large contingent of lower income, first-gen, commuters, and/or underrepresented minorities. They often have to work many hours, commute to school from a far distance, and face barriers to success that higher income students do not.

True but the school needs to figure it out. It serves no one when a kid doesn’t graduate and walks away in debt and having lost years of earnings potential.

Why does the school need to figure it out?

People what are ignorant thing there is something the school is doing that makes them graduate.

That is truly stupid and sad thing to say. The only good thing in college education is the fact that the college administrators have not yield to press to lower the bars unlike public school system administrators (e.g., MCPS). Colleges are supposed to be hard. Students are expected to work and work hard. There is nothing to “figure” out if kids think it’s an extension of HS.

I don't think that is true. Colleges live and die over rankings. They want a good 4 year grad rate. Weed out classes are not good for that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only about 60% of incoming students graduate. Of the 40% who leave, 12% transferred. Does anyone know why this rate is so high? I want to like my in-state options, but this is disappointing!

UMBC is a school that has a very large contingent of lower income, first-gen, commuters, and/or underrepresented minorities. They often have to work many hours, commute to school from a far distance, and face barriers to success that higher income students do not.

True but the school needs to figure it out. It serves no one when a kid doesn’t graduate and walks away in debt and having lost years of earnings potential.

Why does the school need to figure it out?

Because you’re stupid?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only about 60% of incoming students graduate. Of the 40% who leave, 12% transferred. Does anyone know why this rate is so high? I want to like my in-state options, but this is disappointing!

UMBC is a school that has a very large contingent of lower income, first-gen, commuters, and/or underrepresented minorities. They often have to work many hours, commute to school from a far distance, and face barriers to success that higher income students do not.

True but the school needs to figure it out. It serves no one when a kid doesn’t graduate and walks away in debt and having lost years of earnings potential.

Why does the school need to figure it out?

People what are ignorant thing there is something the school is doing that makes them graduate.

That is truly stupid and sad thing to say. The only good thing in college education is the fact that the college administrators have not yield to press to lower the bars unlike public school system administrators (e.g., MCPS). Colleges are supposed to be hard. Students are expected to work and work hard. There is nothing to “figure” out if kids think it’s an extension of HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only about 60% of incoming students graduate. Of the 40% who leave, 12% transferred. Does anyone know why this rate is so high? I want to like my in-state options, but this is disappointing!

UMBC is a school that has a very large contingent of lower income, first-gen, commuters, and/or underrepresented minorities. They often have to work many hours, commute to school from a far distance, and face barriers to success that higher income students do not.

True but the school needs to figure it out. It serves no one when a kid doesn’t graduate and walks away in debt and having lost years of earnings potential.

Why does the school need to figure it out?

People what are ignorant thing there is something the school is doing that makes them graduate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only about 60% of incoming students graduate. Of the 40% who leave, 12% transferred. Does anyone know why this rate is so high? I want to like my in-state options, but this is disappointing!

UMBC is a school that has a very large contingent of lower income, first-gen, commuters, and/or underrepresented minorities. They often have to work many hours, commute to school from a far distance, and face barriers to success that higher income students do not.

True but the school needs to figure it out. It serves no one when a kid doesn’t graduate and walks away in debt and having lost years of earnings potential.

Why does the school need to figure it out?

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.

I'm not talking about UMBC necessarily. Nationally the majority of people drop out of school due to cost, the #2 reason is a mental health issue, #3 academic reason.

You think the college setting is the reason people drop out. UMBC is too hard. Really?

UMBC can be “too difficult” for certain kids. You know not all kids are the same right?

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.

I'm not talking about UMBC necessarily. Nationally the majority of people drop out of school due to cost, the #2 reason is a mental health issue, #3 academic reason.

You think the college setting is the reason people drop out. UMBC is too hard. Really?

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%).

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.

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.

I have to agree. Between lack of other in-state options and high cost, donuts families don't have too many options.