Efficiency Review Critiques Higher-Ed System Only One-Fourth Of WSU Freshmen Graduate With Four Years

Tue., Jan. 21, 1997

David Ammons Associated Press

How long does it take to get through a four-year college in Washington state?

It’s not a trick question, especially when heavy tax subsidies are involved. A first-ever “efficiency review” presented to the state lawmakers Monday indicates that just 25 percent of freshmen at the Washington State University graduate within a four-year period.

At the University of Washington and Evergreen State College, about 30 percent get through in four years.

According to the study by the state Higher Education Coordinating Board, the median time it takes to complete an undergraduate degree program ranges from 4 to 4-1/2 years.

The study found an increase in the number of degrees granted per faculty member, one measure of productivity, and that most graduates were generally satisfied with their education, especially in writing and problem-solving skills.

Members of the Senate Higher Education Committee, which received the report at a hearing, said they are increasingly interested in making the public colleges and universities more efficient, including studying how quickly they can move students through the system.

Sen. James West, R-Spokane, a panel member who also heads the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, said higher education has to be scrutinized and improved, since it involves a large chunk of the budget.

About 11 percent of all state taxes go to the community college and university system. Students’ tuition and fees cover between a quarter and a third of the full cost of their education, with the state picking up the rest. The system has about 200,000 students.

Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, said colleges should also keep track of the impact of student financial aid on the time it takes for students to move through the system.

Other highlights of the study:

WSU and UW faculty spend an average of 9.3 to 7.8 hours in the classroom each week, respectively. The two doctoral universities have a heavy research emphasis.

One-year retention rates for freshmen at state universities range from 91 percent at Washington to 67 percent at Central Washington.

Three out of five high school graduates in the state in 1994 went on to college, about half to community colleges and the rest to four-year schools.

About 87 percent of the students at public four-year schools and about 95 percent at two-year schools were Washington residents in 1991-95.

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