Increasing graduation rates is a desireable goal, but pushing more 4-year students to take 30 credits in 12 hours is not the solution. Although it is intuitive to think that there is a one-to-one correlation between the percentage of students enrolling in 30 credits every year and graduation rates,  there is not.  Data indicate that graduation rates are generally higher with strong 30-12 going rates, but the rates differ. Only a portion of students are able to maintain a pace of 30 credits in 12 months for four years due to course loads that require laboratory courses or outside obligations like work and caring for families.

To increase graduation rates, campuses have focused on better advising and mentorship as well as positive messaging about the importance of staying on track to graduation by taking as many credit hours as manageable.