<p>I don’t think there’s anything wrong with looking at the four year rate, but you should also be careful. Take Stanford, for example. I’d consider 79% pretty low, and was disappointed to see such a number. And then three very important things came into play: a) the number of student athletes who stay for a fifth year, b) the number of students who are coterming or receiving two degrees in five years, and c) the almost-necessity of taking a fifth year in order to graduate with a double major. Like with any school, there are notable exceptions. If you can look at the four year graduation rate with those unaccounted-for factors in mind, then it can be a great tool.</p>