60 percent of UNM students won't graduate

New Mexico's students aren't making it to college, and those who are aren't staying.

by JENNIFER ROCHA

UNM is a great place to get an education—if you can beat the odds.

There are more than 32,000 students at UNM’s campuses combined. But according to the Fall 2006 Official Enrollment report, including all degrees and certificates and on all campuses, UNM awarded only 5,000 degrees.

Overall, only 41 percent of UNM’s freshmen can be expected to graduate in six years, according to Jep Choate, associate registrar.

Across the U.S., the average college graduation rate is 54 percent after six years, according a September 2006 AP release. UNM students just aren’t finishing the job.

UNM's low graduation rate isn’t far off from New Mexico’s overall education rate.

Early this year, Education Week released the results of its Quality Counts 2007 report. New Mexico was ranked last in the nation on a new Chance for Success index, which rated the 50 states on how well they give their children an opportunity to succeed later in life.

New Mexico was also ranked 47th in the nation in academic performance of elementary and secondary students.

New Mexico’s public school system is struggling to keep students in high school. College becomes an even bigger problem.

“Overall graduation rate for a four-year institution is low compared to other institutions around the country, Choate said. “But within the state of New Mexico, we are pretty much on par.”

Choate mentioned the economy as a factor. Many students work in addition to attending school.

Another factor that may have an impact, Choate said, was that UNM is in the heart of the city. “We are a metropolitan institution, he said. “Other colleges that have a similar setting have a lower graduation rate.”

Identifying the causes of the education issues has had parents, legislature and the governor in a scramble.

Complaints of school overcrowding, elementary exam failures and high-school dropout rates often appear in New Mexico headlines.

Gov. Bill Richardson recently announced another $20 million funding package for charter schools and $40 million for higher education in New Mexico. Choate also said, “Lottery scholarships ultimately will help graduation rates.”

But it won’t be an easy fix. In the Albuquerque Journal, William V. Flores reported findings of the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress exams.

“Nearly 40 percent of the state's high school students drop out before graduating,” Flores said.

More than half of those graduating require remedial courses once they enter college. This “decreases their likelihood of graduation,” said Flores.

“The public school system is a factor,” Choate said. “But APS and UNM are working collaboratively to improve things.”

It’s a problem that UNM has had to deal with for years. But according to Choate, things are expected to get better.

“UNM has taken steps over the years to improve our graduation rates,” he said. He also expects that graduation rates will be higher when the next figures for 2006 come in.

With the education odds in New Mexico, just making it into UNM is an obstacle. Staying in is another. And New Mexico simply isn’t making the grade.

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