I had a professor say the average for a bachelors is now six years. Mine took me longer than that because I tried the pay as you go way and I was working full time so I was taking between one and five classes a semester. Towards the end I used student loans to finish quicker. I agree, it is a dumb way to measure candidates. In my opinion as a hiring manager at AT&T, I noticed those who took longer were usually more dedicated employees and less likely to give up. I had nothing given to me and was on my own for my college degree.