It is reported that the report divides 1300 four-year colleges and universities surveyed into six categories: uncompetitive, weak, medium, strong, strong and most competitive according to the SAT or ACT scores of freshmen, ranking in high schools and admission rate. Nearly half of these universities have a graduation rate of less than 50%, and these universities are mainly not competitive.

"The more competitive a university is, the higher its graduation rate, and vice versa." According to experts studying abroad, the graduation rates of the six types of universities vary greatly due to the differences of students' own quality, the different comprehensive rankings of universities and the different teaching resources.

Experts further analyze that many American universities have good cooperative relations with various companies and social institutions, and students have the opportunity to participate in paid internships for one semester or even one year during their studies; Some students, because of their family's economic situation, apply for taking a leave of school to take part in work, and then go back to school to continue their studies when they think it is necessary or economic conditions permit, which not only prolongs the graduation time, but also reduces the graduation rate; Other students choose to drop out of school or transfer.

This is related to the real credit system in American universities. There is no so-called class concept in American universities, and students can graduate as long as they have completed enough credits. For various reasons, students who are unwilling to bear too much study pressure can usually choose fewer courses, while students who have spare capacity can choose more courses.

Whether it is the "strict entry and strict exit" of famous schools or the "lenient entry and strict exit" of ordinary universities, American universities are consistent in "strict exit". Students who fail to meet the requirements cannot graduate, and universities will not issue diplomas indiscriminately.