IF UNIVERSITIES WERE STREETCARS.  Then, perhaps, a Chicago Now column suggesting that competition in higher education produces dropouts might make sense.

In Chicago, there are over 80 colleges, universities and vocational schools that spend a lot of money to attract students. With so many colleges to choose from, if Chicago area students don’t like the college they are currently attending, it is very easy to transfer to another one, often just a few blocks away from their original institution. Graduation rates are typically higher in areas where there are very few higher education institutions.

Sure, take that A in precalculus from Northeastern Illinois and enter directly into engineering at Northwestern.

The top three  Chicago area colleges with the highest graduation rates were Northwestern University (94%), University of Chicago (93%) and, DePaul University (68%).

The Chicago area colleges with the lowest graduation rates were Telshe Yeshiva - Chicago (7%), Chicago State University (14%) and, International Academy of Design & Technology (14%).

With so much taxpayer money used for financial aid, should universities be doing a better job at increasing their graduation rates?

If transferring is as easy as the article suggests, perhaps Yeshiva's attrition turns up in Northwestern's graduations -- or the Pauline Fathers are selling indulgences?  And the Metra Electric honors South Shore Line tickets.  I'd bet that the greater inefficiency in financial aid is in the form of loans in support of non-transferrable credits.