Fewer college students are graduating within four years—and that may be because they’re not taking enough credits their first semester.

Fewer college students are graduating within four years—and that may be because they’re not taking enough credits their first semester. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, 51% of full-time, first-year students earned only about 24 credits during their first year of college. Five to eight years is becoming the benchmark for undergraduate students to complete what was once thought to be a four year degree. The NSC is warning that students will continue to stop-out of classes and put themselves at risk of falling behind academically and financially if they’re not completing their degrees as soon as possible. However, Gen Z students aren’t listening to the noise. Many students online are destigmatizing academic pressures and reminding each other to go through life at their own pace; especially since pandemic learning has altered their plans for higher education. YPulse’s Education report data shows 78% of Millennial parents are teaching their children about alternatives to a traditional college education. (Forbes, HigherEdDive)