These are scary numbers. If tuition rates continue to increase and going to college keeps being pushed hard on graduating high school classes I can't imagine those numbers decreasing anytime soon. Also this, the prospect of paying for an education and then not finishing it isn't good for anybody. My college's graduation rate is a bit over 65% last I checked. Though I wonder how transfer rates affect the graduation rate of a given college. Overall I do think it's worth it, but I also think that it should be impressed upon people that what you get out of college is what you put into it. If you want to be fully prepared for post-education and life you need to go to extra lengths beyond whatever coursework you may be taking.The Project on Student Debt, a non-profit, says that 15% of borrowers default within three years of entering repayment. At for-profit colleges the rate is 22%.
Overall, the six-year graduation rate for four-year institutions is only 59%.