Graduates celebrate at the University at Albany's 175th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 19, 2019, in Albany.

More than 15 million students enroll in college every year. While most of them start with high hopes of earning a degree, they drop out in droves. As an undergraduate I met some years ago while researching “The College Dropout Scandal” reminded me, “Anyone can get into college. The challenge is staying in college.”

The figures are hair-on-fire shocking: Only 41% of undergraduates earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, and even if they stay in school for two more years, just fewer than two-thirds of them graduate. The community college story is even more dispiriting. Only a third of those who enroll receive an associate’s degree in three years. That’s among the worst track records among developed nations.

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University dropouts often leave school with a mountain of debt, but without the opportunity to secure the decent-paying jobs that would enable them to pay those bills. They’re worse off economically than community college graduates and not much more financially successful than those with only a high school education. They’re less likely to own a home, and more........

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