Like any other society, the Ranker Society had a strict hierarchy.
There were generally three classes of people in the society— 'Nobles', 'Prodigies', and the lowest of the bunch… 'Common Shits'.
The Academy was strictly a meritocracy. It rewarded the talented and the gifted, and disregarded the incompetent.
Nobles were fairly luckier, even if they were not talented, they had a cushion to fall back on in the name of connections and privileges.
But for those neither a Noble nor a Prodigy? They were referred to as Common Shits. Dregs of society.
Incompetent, unqualified and untalented bunch.
The simple thought of graduating was a faraway thought to them. It was more likely for them to be expelled one day due to insufficient credit funds.
But it was not impossible for them to graduate.
Like grade school teachers used to say, everyone had something they specialize in.