(U-WIRE) LA JOLLA, Calif. – John Muir College student Tom Rapp, in his fifth year, aided Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) presidential campaign for two quarters in lieu of school.

Meanwhile, Fernando Escobar, a San Diego State University student going on his seventh year, struggled to balance a 20-hour workweek with academics, according to an article published last month by the San Diego Union-Tribune. Escobar’s situation encapsulates the trials of San Diego State’s students, only 17.1 percent of whom graduate within four years.

UC San Diego, and the University of California in general, fare much better. While students may not graduate in exactly 12 quarters, it is rare for a UCSD student to enroll for more than five years, according to UCSD’s Office of Student Research and Information.

Rapp will graduate this June after completing 11 full-time and two part-time quarters at UCSD. Even with a hiatus after his second year was able to to graduate within five years.

UCSD’s four-year graduation rate exceeds the majority of other public schools nationally, which graduate about half of its students in four years, according to SRI Director Bill Armstrong.

Students take an average of 13 quarters to complete undergraduate requirements, and the campus’ six different colleges — each with their own criteria – add a more personal experience that keeps students on track, according to Vice Chancellor of Admissions and Registration Mae W. Brown.

I think the small college concept really works well for [UCSD], Brown said. It allows us to break down the large undergraduate population into smaller groups, and we’re able to provide a home base for students.

Based on 2001 statistics, the latest offered by Armstrong, Muir College leads with 60 percent of its students graduating within four years, followed by Revelle College and Thurgood Marshall College and Earl Warren College, all at 57 percent, and Eleanor Roosevelt College at 51 percent. Statistics have yet to be compiled for Sixth College.

While Brown argued that UCSD’s segregation into six colleges is an opportunity for more personal relations, Rapp said he felt indifferent about the divisions.

The only thing I ever used to figure out how to get to graduation was the ‘Finish in Four’ book Muir gives you and my online degree audit, Rapp said. I had a very limited interaction with advisers or any other programs.

In 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available, UCSD held the UC system’s third-highest one-year retention rate at 95 percent; the percentage of students who return after their first year trails only UCLA and UC Berkeley.

Unfortunately, students at other colleges still drop out at high rates. Only about half of all freshmen enrolled in four-year universities get their degrees within six years nationally, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. But these circumstances aren’t common among UC students, especially at UCSD.

[UCSD’s retention rate] has a lot to do with the fact that we admit a quality applicant pool, Brown said. We’re selective – we receive more applications than we are able to accommodate, and because we’re able to select from the top 12.5 percent [of California high school graduates], we are getting some of the best-qualified students.

UCSD’s graduation and retention rates excel compared to the neighboring San Diego State — most notably in the area of helping students graduate on time and preparing them for professional jobs after college.

When we studied what allowed students to be most successful at SDSU … academic preparation was the single most important variable for academic success, San Diego State Executive Director of Enrollment Services Sandra Cook said. That being said, there are some institutions whose graduation rates are higher than would be predicted by the academic preparation of the students they admit.

The large gap is reason for concern, according to state Sen. Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), who sits on the Assembly Higher Education Subcommittee.

There is a large focus on outreach for colleges, she said. But there is a large hole in the concentration on helping students graduate on time.

Speier was especially concerned about the gap between the rates of UC graduates and those at the California State University. According to 2001 statistics, although San Diego State’s four-year graduation rate has been improving, it is still far below UC figures. In fall 2004, only 82.1 percent of students came back for a second year.

The CSU system’s broad applicant pool is linked to the lagging rates, but Cook said that the implementation of programs – such as Freshman Success and mentoring services – to improve retention and graduation numbers.

Also, more students at UCSD are declaring majors within their first two years; the 13.1 percent of undeclared students in 1995 decreased to 9.4 percent in 2005.

Based on the 2001 graduating class, one-third of UCSD graduates pursued degrees from graduate or professional schools and more than half of those graduates enrolled in doctorate programs.

After five years, 62 percent of the graduates have completed, or are enrolled in an advanced degree program, and 93 percent of UCSD graduates are employed in a professional field of their choice or are pursuing more education.

Copyright ©2006 The Guardian via CSTV U-Wire