The Path to Timely Completion: Supply- and Demand-Side Analyses of Time to Bachelor's Degree Completion. Policy Brief

Time to degree is a key factor in improving college graduation rates and increasing institutional productivity. While there is a growing body of empirical and theoretical work addressing baccalaureate degree completion and persistence, much less is known about the factors that affect time to degree. This policy brief is comprised of three quantitative studies that examine supply-side and demand-side factors that contribute to timely--or not so timely--completion. The first study examines a rich set of institutional and student factors that influence the choice between on time graduation, late graduation, dropout and ongoing enrollment. The second study analyzes the effect of transfer on time to degree and explores credit loss at the point of transfer as a mechanism for delay. The third study examines excess credit accumulation, specifically how graduation requirements affect student course-taking behavior.