UC Davis Is One of the 25 Happiest Public Universities in the US

Well, duh. We have Picnic Day!

CBS News recently ranked the 25 public universities with the highest retention rates. UC Davis clocked in at 25.

According to CBS News:

The state universities where freshmen retention rates are high tend to be flagship institutions that enjoy more resources and attract smart, affluent students.

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, UCLA  barely beat out the University of California, Berkeley as the No. 1 school among the 25 public universities that enjoy the greatest percentage of freshmen who remain for their sophomore year.

The freshmen retention rates of these elite public universities are far higher than the rate at average public universities. According to statistics compiled by ACT Inc., the standardized test maker, the average freshmen retention rate for all four-year public institutions is 72.2%. The freshman retention rate at two-year public colleges is just 55.5%.

Freshmen retention rates are important because students who transfer out of their original schools are far less likely to graduate in four years. As it is, only 31% of full-time students attending state universities graduate in the traditional four years.

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