A report suggests the greater share of Michigan's public universities don't have very good graduation rates.
David Jesse of the Detroit Free Press writes that a report by Third Way, a Washington nonpartisan think tank, says 12 of the state's 15 public universities would be labeled as dropout factories if judged by the same standards as K-12. The average six-year graduation rate is 52.8 percent, which comes out to about one of every two students.
Universities claim the report is flawed, the Freep reports.
Third Way singles out Oakland University and Wayne State University as particularly poor performers, the Freep reports.
Universities disputing the report say it only looks at a select group of students-- first-year, full-time students with federal loans, the Freep reports. It also doesn't take into account students' college experience.
"This report really misrepresents Oakland University," Susan Awbrey, senior associate provost at the Auburn Hills school, tells the Freep. "To us, this is just sensationalist."
