A word of advice to cost-conscious parents: Make sure your child takes Advanced Placement classes in high school.
A study by the U.S. Department of Education shows that high school students who take two or more AP classes are twice as likely to graduate from college on time as a student who takes none.
The study also shows a big difference between students with a B-plus average in high school and those with mostly A's.
Only 32 percent of B-plus students graduate from college in four years. Fifty-two percent of the A students get out that quickly.
According to the study, the group of students most likely to earn college diplomas in four years are Asian women from families with annual incomes of $70,000 or more.
