DISMAL COLLEGE COMPLETION RATES.

In his big speech to Congress last February, President Obama asked every American "to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training." He swore that by 2020, "America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world." The stimulus package included billions for Pell Grants to help students pay their college tuition, increasing the average grant reward by about $500. But as a new AEI report reminds us, getting to college and paying for it are less than half the battle. Fewer than 60 percent of students who enter four-year colleges each fall graduate within six-years. They drop out with debt, having done little to improve their earning potential. Perhaps most surprisingly, there is a great variation among graduation rates at schools with similar levels of selectivity. For example, Merrimack College in Massachusetts and Chicago State University in Illinois each accept 75 to 85 percent of their applicants, from pools with an average GPA of B to C and middling SAT scores. Yet Merrimack graduates an impressive 78 percent of its students in six years, while CSU graduates only 16 percent. As the AEI authors admit, these discrepancies might reflect differences in the rigor of these institutions, with some schools watering down expectations so that even poorly prepared students can earn a diploma. I'd add that the low quality of so many primary and secondary schools -- and the low standards to which students are held during their K-12 years -- insufficiently prepares young people for higher education, while simultaneously sending them the message that college attendance and graduation are expected. So if we're serious about college completion, what is to be done? At Education Sector, Kevin Carey suggests more pressure on states -- the entities that really pull the strings in education policy -- to create data systems that track how well colleges are serving their students and what, exactly, they're teaching them. After all, higher ed consumers deserve to know what they're purchasing. I'd also suggest a serious rethinking of our aversion to vocational education. Not every student needs a liberal arts education, or is is intellectually committed and prepared for one. But every student does need a decent-paying job with the potential to build a lifelong career. Giving young adults some real vocational options in high school and through community colleges would prepare them for the job market. --Dana Goldstein