<p>Peterson’s is several years out of date. As of the last Common Data Set (CDS), Reed’s 6-year graduation rate (which is the standard that most people use for comparison) was 73%. It has been rising in recent years, and the current president has focused attention on it. (For the latest CDS, see: <a href=“http://web.reed.edu/ir/cds/index.html[/url]”>http://web.reed.edu/ir/cds/index.html</a> .)</p>
<p>As for why the rate has been low, I don’t think there is a single accepted explanation, but here are some possibly contributing factors. (1) Until recently, Reed’s acceptance rate was pretty high (even if the applicants were self-selective) and this meant that Reed often accepted some students who were higher risk (e.g., the classic “underachiever” with high SAT, modest GPA); (2) Reed’s financial aid support was modest and often didn’t meet the “need” of families and students, which, however, is one aspect that the current president has also focused on and has had some success in addressing by building endowment support expressly dedicated to financial aid; and (3) Reed’s program is demanding, and many students underestimate this when applying (note that about half of all those who do not finish in 6 years leave after the first year), perhaps in part because the students never visited Reed before enrolling or only applied as a backup.</p>
<p>Of course, I went to Reed oblivious to all this, yet here I am as living testimony that you can graduate in 4 years.</p>