With many schools in the nation heading into budget cuts of 15 percent or higher, Carey suggests that higher education institutions make maximizing graduation rates a priority, and find ways to continue offering funding for financial aid and student support services.

"We're definitely advocating for more advising assistance," Sederburg said, adding that the lack of funding really hurts in those areas. Each campus in Utah, he said, has its own plan and the system is working with K-12 schools and districts to prepare students better for college, as "a lot of the lack of completion is due to math classes."

Hundreds of institutions fail to graduate a majority of their students in six years, yet the report's authors point out that these colleges and universities still receive tens of billions of dollars from taxpayers every year. Given the current fiscal constraints and tight budgets, voters and public officials should be aware of institutions that are not accomplishing their most basic task of graduating students, according to Carey.

"At a time when growing unemployment disproportionately affects workers without a degree, it is critical that this information is available and accessible so that consumers can make informed decisions," he said.

The data, however, are not intended to be a measure of quality for American institutions as graduation rates would alternatively rise if standards were lowered. The report calls for broader exploration of postsecondary outcomes, while working also to preserve academic performance.

"We have to do a better job at getting the people who are already in school to complete their degrees," Carey said. "There is great potential for improvement."

E-MAIL: wleonard@desnews.com