51³Ô¹ÏÍø

if you don’t graduate in four years, we’ll waive tuition for courses to complete your degree.

Our promise is that simple. Because we know our support for your academic journey is exceptional, the College guarantees in writing that freshmen who meet the Four-Year Degree Guarantee requirements will graduate within four calendar years. 

Currently, 95 percent of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø graduates complete their degree in four years or fewer. This percentage is much higher than the four-year completion rate for all graduates at private colleges (almost 80 percent), and for public institutions (below 50 percent). Source: National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

Our Four-Year Degree Guarantee lets us make it official. It represents what the College has been doing well for nearly two centuries.

“The very nature of a 51³Ô¹ÏÍø education allows us to make this commitment with confidence.”

51³Ô¹ÏÍø President Robert R. Lindgren

“The very nature of a 51³Ô¹ÏÍø education allows us to make this commitment with confidence,” explains 51³Ô¹ÏÍø President Robert Lindgren. “Our hand-tooled education means direct and personal interaction with faculty and staff, small classes with personal attention and constant mentoring, and access to the classes that students need in order to progress toward their degrees in a timely manner.”

A Shared Commitment

The guarantee works because it’s a shared commitment. Any full-time student who satisfies the policies stated in the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Academic Catalog in effect at the time of their enrollment will enter into this partnership with the College.

Students sit with President Lindgren or another member of the senior administration, to sign their Four-Year Degree Guarantee document together. We invite families to sign too, to demonstrate the shared commitment that will help us meet the goal of a four-year degree.

A student’s responsibilities include:

  • Complying with the academic requirements (number of courses, number of three or more semester hour courses, satisfactory progress, GPA, and timely declaration of major)
  • Meeting regularly with and following advice provided by the academic advisor
  • Participating in the sophomore year Edge Boot Camp
  • Registering and selecting courses in a timely fashion
  • Submitting an application for degree in the academic year in which graduation is anticipated
  • Satisfying all financial obligations to the College
  • Avoiding any academic or judicial suspension or other action that delays graduation