More of last year’s UT Austin freshmen returned to campus, earned better grades and passed more classes than any other class on record. And the university says it’s because of a focus on freshmen. UT is giving struggling students extra services and identifying at-risk students at orientation. It's part of UT Austin President Bill Powers' goal to get four-year graduation rates up to 70 percent within five years.
“All our data shows that student who take a full load of courses actually do better academically than students taking a partial load and taking longer," says Greg Fenves, UT Austin Vice President and Provost.
Last year, 55.1 percent of students graduated in four years, up from 52 percent a year earlier. Those students were not directly targeted to help improve the four-year graduation rate, but the increase could be attributed to better overall academic performance at the university.
Fenves says graduating in four years also means students are paying less.
“Not only in the direct cost of paying tuition and living expenses, but also in the opportunity cost of not entering the job market and the workforce," Fenves says.
