Most college students take four years to complete their educational objective, but recent studies on campus and in the CSU system have shown a trend that indicates that some students are taking an average of six years to graduate.

Students who fall into this category are often non-traditional students, according to Sacramento State Registrar Anita Hall.

“Some take longer to graduate because they register as part-time students and therefore take fewer units. Someone who takes six or nine units a semester will take longer to get out of school, compared to the student who takes 18 units worth of work,” Hall said.

Many of the students at Sac State are returning students or have been in the working world for a number of years.

“These students may take a fewer number of classes due to other commitments, so it takes longer to finish,” Hall said.

One of the identified problems, according to Director Tom Griffith, Academic Advising, is that students have lives outside of Sac State.

“Some students may have to work hard to make payments on a car, some may have children, some maybe involved in full-time work as well,” Griffith said. “Because of these other commitments, it is rather difficult to be a full-time student at the same time. The students who don?t work as much [or at all] usually get out in four to five years.”

Taking longer to graduate is not only an issue at Sac State. Many colleges across the country have students who take as many as five or six years as well.

“There have been more non-traditional students entering the system in the last few decades and they can?t take 15-18 units per semester, so they take longer to graduate,” said Ed Perhay, academic counselor in the Academic Advising Center.

Perhay believes that students themselves and their peers see the delay as a negative aspect of their college careers.

“It?s not a big deal to take longer,” Perhay said. “Many parents see it as a bad thing and it puts pressure on the student; however, many students agree that they would rather go slow and have better GPA?s, get the professors they want and the classes they really want to take, instead of classes they are left with.”

Perhay added that employers do not usually look at the number of years it takes students to graduate, but instead the type of employee they may be.

“Employers are looking for good skilled, high GPA applicants who know how to speak and write properly. Many colleges ?preach? that they can get you out in four years but it shouldn?t be guaranteed; it all really depends on the student,” he said.

A student?s time spent in college may also be affected by the career path they choose to take. Perhay sited the business and engineering majors as programs that may take longer to complete.

“If you are an engineering major and fall behind in the math classes, then you may fall behind in the science classes that involve the same kind of math. With that, your whole schedule gets pulled behind, leaving students of that major with longer graduation expectancies,” Perhay said.

Jerry Sharp, director of Institutional Studies, believes that students everywhere are taking about five years to graduate.

“The general trend is getting to be a longer time, but it should take no longer than five years. The student who enters as a first-time freshman usually leaves in four to five years and the junior college transfer student spends no more than three years here,” Sharp said.

Sharp says that the number of years it takes to graduate also depends on the type of university students attend and whether or not the student changes majors.

“I think a possible solution to this would be to take advantage of the summer school courses available. It is a great way to get ahead and complete units. Five years is not an excessive amount of time to be spent in college, it is the norm,” Sharp said.

Every semester Sac State students must answer survey questions when they register with CASPER. Last semester?s questions focused on the length of time students plan to attend Sac State.

Approximately 23,035 students responded to the questions. When asked in how many years they think they would complete their degree 17 percent of those polled indicated that it would take them four years or less. Most students (52 percent)thought it would take five to six years to graduate and 17 percent thought it would take seven to eight years.