FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A report by a national group shows that college students who start at four-year schools in North Dakota and South Dakota are following similar paths to completion — including more than 10 percent who finish their studies at other schools.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center tracks the progress of students in a six-year time frame and includes those who swirl from one school to another or take time off.

The report shows that the completion rate for students who start at four-year schools is 64.65 percent in South Dakota and 64.61 percent in North Dakota. The overall rate in the U.S. is 62.85 percent.

Officials in the Dakotas say the report gives a more accurate picture of graduation rates than traditional figures that follow student progress within one school.

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