The current economic situation of the country affects the perception that high school graduates have towards pursuing a college education. A lot of them sense that even if they don’t pursue a college degree, they could still get a job out there. Of course, there are still people who believe in the true advantage of earning a bachelor’s degree.

However, recent surveys revealed an alarming fact: almost 50% of those who enroll as freshmen in colleges and universities don’t finish their courses. Dropout rates in US colleges and universities have this increasing trend as days pass by.

What could be the reason for this? Many education authorities conducted independent studies regarding this issue from 2005 to 2014. It was apparent that they arrived at the same results.

The reasons why so many students leave college might seem obvious. However, it is still important to discuss these one at a time. Employment at the time of taking college subjects tops the list. The explanation here is that because many college students cannot balance job and school responsibilities, they just choose to quit their studies.

A foundation headed by the Gates family held surveys during the period stated above and got the same results. Almost 3/4 of all the respondents agreed that dropping out of college was a decision influenced by their job responsibilities. This data is backed up by National Student Clearinghouse research results. Its research conclusions were clear: graduation rates are higher for those schools whose populations are enrolled full-time. Dropout rates were seen among those schools that cater to part-time students.

The cost of college education is another big reason why dropout rates have been rising. Economic issues leave colleges and universities with no option but to implement tuition fee increases. Of course, this applies to both private and government-funded institutions. Cost is a factor in the choice of school among students. Later on, this also becomes a factor in why they transfer to other schools. Even if the cost of education in state or community colleges is low, there will come a time when some students will quit due to financial problems.

The last one on the list is the issue of being prepared for college life. There is no doubt that an individual has to be emotionally, intellectually, and academically prepared for it. For some individuals, the inability to adjust to the new environment and feelings of isolation and homesickness are reasons enough for them to quit their studies. Others might have made wrong choices in their college courses or majors. The feeling of being educationally burned out will be there on such cases. This highlights the importance of career guidance when students are still in their high school years.

Dropout rates in college as revealed in the researches mentioned above cannot be changed. However, this gives the authorities a chance to know what to address in the future. Through their efforts, it is hoped that more of those who will enroll in college will earn their degrees within the allotted time.