Based on student loan repayment rate data and college graduation rates we know that millions of young people start their lives without degrees and are financially over-leveraged. Students and families make bets on future earnings by enrolling in colleges that they cannot afford and have low probabilities of being successful. Although the value of…

Texas higher education institutions serve some of the most diverse student populations in higher education. However, graduation rates remain among the lowest in the United States, particularly for underrepresented minority students. Diverse faculty who act as mentors have the potential to increase underrepresented minority students' sense of…

The STEM Scholars program at Bucknell University was originally supported with a five-year National Science Foundation STEP grant to begin recruitment for a summer program in 2014. The grant, with a one-year no-cost extension, supported six cohorts of students. The recruitment of participants was specifically designed to attract typically…

This research study provides campus-type specific insight into the graduation rates of students of color at a departmental (i.e., School of Business) level. With underrepresented student populations comprising up to a third of business school enrollment, there is institutional and departmental value in understanding how, and at what levels,…

Many students who enroll in a public U.S. 4-y college will not graduate. The odds of completing a college degree are even lower for students who have been marginalized in higher education, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Can undergraduate research increase a student's likelihood of graduating college and…

The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is the nation's largest network of public charter schools. KIPP began as a network of charter middle schools designed to serve underserved communities, with the goal of closing achievement gaps and preparing students to succeed in college. KIPP has since expanded its model to include elementary and high…

Regional comprehensive universities with access-oriented missions provide critical pathways for increasing the number and diversity of STEM graduates. The BOND program at California State University, Fresno supports the transition to college for first-time, full-time freshmen in selected STEM majors. BOND incorporates a learning community, active…

Florida State University (FSU) has a long-standing commitment to promoting success for all students. FSU's strategies for student success and equity have resulted in increased and more equitable graduation rates and record fall-to-fall retention rates. This article provides an inventory of student success and equity initiatives at FSU. The…

This longitudinal study of 17,455 students, the majority from underrepresented groups, investigated leaks in the vertical transfer pipeline from associate's-degree program entry to bachelor's-degree receipt. Investigated were both the size of the leaks and some associated variables. Pipeline progress examinations included quantification of early…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate an academic support program that aims to improve persistence and graduation for lower-division students who are low income, first generation, and/or underrepresented. Students were organized in 10 academies that serve as a "school within a school" and have three main elements: a pathway of two…

In this study, the graduation and persistence rates of African-American students at Texas 4-year universities were examined for the 2003-2004 academic year, the 2009-2010 academic year, and the 2014-2015 academic year. Of specific interest was whether the graduation and persistence rates for African-American students changed over an 11-year time…

Over two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies provide a formal mentorship program to their employees. Mentorship programs in any organization have been identified with increased retention, improvement of human capital formation and leader development. Mentoring, whether formal or informal, has been shown to be equally important in institutions of…

Students of color remain underrepresented in social work education programs. According to the Council on Social Work Education (2016), only 37.4% of the 19,596 BSW degrees awarded during the 2014-2015 academic year were awarded to students from historically underrepresented groups. Through the lens of empowerment theory, this article presents a…

The federal government and many individual organizations have invested in programs to support diversity in the STEM pipeline, including STEM summer programs for high school students, but there is little rigorous evidence of their efficacy. We fielded a randomized controlled trial to study a suite of such programs targeted to underrepresented high…

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were large gaps in Maine's high school graduation rates, high school dropout rates, college persistence, and college completion across socio economic status, racial and ethnic groups, English learner status, and disability status. The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated existing inequities and challenges,…