Posted on Jun 12, 2009

Union boasts one of the highest graduation rates in the country, according to a recent national report.

Commencement 2008 hats in air

Eighty-six percent of students at Union graduate within six years of entering, placing the College among the top 10 for “highly competitive” schools. The top schools in the category were Babson College and Mount Holyoke, which graduate 89 percent of their students within six years.

The national average for four-year schools in all categories is 55 percent, according to the report.

“Union students and alumni are deeply grateful for their close working relationships with faculty members, whose dedication is an essential contributing factor to our high graduation rate," said Therese A. McCarty, the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

“Diplomas and Dropouts” was prepared for the American Enterprise Institute on Public Policy, a conservative Washington think tank.

Graduation rates were based on U.S. Department of Education data for nearly 1.2 million freshmen who entered college in 2001, and the six categories ranging from non-competitive to most competitive were as defined by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, based on student demographics and admission standards. The study looked at 1,385 four-year colleges.

To read the full report, click here.

Last summer, Business Week took a look at the schools where graduates have the most earning potential and found that Union alumni place among the top colleges in the country. To read the article, click here.