Representatives with Montana State University say a 50.7% graduation rate is unacceptable.

"We want to raise that graduation rate because it just seems like we're not doing a service to the students who enter if, in six years, 50% of them haven't gotten their degree," says MSU spokesperson Tracy Ellig.

They're looking to raise that to 62% within the next six years and spokesperson Tracy Ellig says it starts with freshmen.

"That first year is super important in terms of how successful they will be. What goes into that first year is, we look at do they form friendships? Do they join student clubs? Are they engaged with their university? Those end up being very, key indicators about what a student will stay in college," says Ellig.

That's why they're trying to help students connect with their university as well as offering several new tutoring programs like MSU 101, a boot camp for students with low GPAs.

"That's a way to get them in there so that they learn the basic study skills they need to succeed. We had about 225 students who utilized that in the past year," says Ellig.

Ellig says their greatest challenge will be staying focused but argues President Waded Cruzado certainly has her eye on the prize.

"This is really a priority for her. She wants to see students who enter our university succeed and get their degree so, she has really pushed this emphasis on these graduation rates," says Ellig.