Giving Compass' Take:

· According to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, US college completion rates at two- and four-year universities has climbed up to 58.3 percent, regardless of student race, gender, or age. 

· What has contributed to the increase in college graduates? What can be done to continue this positive trend? 

· Learn how creative programs have helped increase college completion rates. 

Although completion rates are rising across the board, wide differences among several groups persist. Notably, fewer than half of black and Hispanic students completed within six years, compared to 67.1% of white students and 70.3% of Asian students. Similarly, student completion rates who started at two-year institutions (39.4%) are far lower than those starting at four-year institutions (67.8%). It's worth noting the two-year rate includes individuals who completed their degree at a different institution.

High attrition rates can generate huge costs for both college dropouts and taxpayers. During fiscal years 2015 and 2016, 3.9 million undergraduates dropped out with federal loans, leaving many with debt and no related credential, according to The Hechinger Report. More than 900,000 of those came from for-profit colleges.

Many students who don't complete a degree struggle to pay back their federal loans. Only about one-third of such students entering repayment during the 2010-11 or 2011-12 academic years had paid off at least $1 of their loan principal within three years, compared to 60% of those who had earned a degree or certificate, according to a 2017 report by the College Board.

Read the full article about college completion rates by Natalie Schwartz at Education Dive