A new report says Iowa’s three public universities are still missing target rates for graduation in four years.

The Des Moines Register says fewer than half of the students at the three schools finish in four years, although the rates have been rising in recent years.

The annual report for the Iowa Board of Regents says Iowa’s universities have graduation rates above the national average.

Iowa State University has a 39.5 percent rate, nearly 2 points shy of its goal. The University of Northern Iowa, at 37.8 percent, is less than a point away from its goal of 38.4 percent.

The University of Iowa’s current rate is just short of its goal of 48.3 percent.

The regents want each university to achieve its goal by 2016.