In Michigan, there is a noticeable improvement in the number of students completing post-secondary degrees or certificates within eight years, as highlighted by recently published state data.
The data is categorized into various charts for community colleges, public universities, and private four-year colleges, offering a comprehensive view of completion rates over two to eight years, depending on the institution type.
Despite periodic yearly declines, all educational levels, except private institutions with less comprehensive data, have experienced an upward trend in completion rates over the past decade.
The most significant advancement was noted in the four-year completion rate, which rose by 15 percentage points, reaching 60.6% for the cohort beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year.
Dan Hurley, CEO of the Michigan Association of State Universities, attributes this success to schools prioritizing student retention. “They’re focused on internships and other off campus activities to engage students, to get them excited for the occupations that they’re training for. They have also redoubled efforts, resources, staffing around student supports, all types of student support,” Hurley explained.
However, disparities based on ethnicity and race persist. At public universities, the data shows that 62.9% of white students and 74.4% of Asian students complete their degrees within four years. In contrast, only 54.3% of Hispanic students, 38.1% of Black students, and 43.5% of Indigenous students achieve the same.
Hurley acknowledged the ongoing racial disparities but noted, “As we’ve seen, even though the numbers are lower for some populations, there has been gradual increases over the years and the institutional efforts to improve upon that will continue.”
At the federal level, institutions have encountered pressure to reduce or discontinue programs supporting historically disadvantaged students. For instance, the University of Michigan closed its inclusion office in March.
Another significant challenge facing public universities is the unpredictability of federal and state funding. Hurley highlighted this issue, stating, “Fourteen of our 15 institutions have a new fiscal year under way as of July 1, and yet no state budget. So it’s hard to predict that, and how do we set tuition rates when the other primary revenue stream’s not known?”
State legislators are not scheduled to return to discuss the budget until July 15 at the earliest.
