Higher education is often framed as a means to social mobility and increased earnings. However, the value of university education in the United States is coming under scrutiny in regard to its costs. This article examines a university education's return on investment (ROI) from attending different types of universities in the United States. Unlike…

The question of why postsecondary institutions produce different labor market outcomes is difficult to answer due to unobserved student characteristics. Here, I leverage students' geographic proximity to three classifications of postsecondary institutions -- earnings-enhancing, competitive, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).…

Recent trends in higher education (rising debt, school closures, increasing tuition) have increased interest in improving accountability and oversight in U.S. higher education beyond current accreditation practices. Common solutions include using quantitative measures like graduation and default rates to benchmark performance. Using historical…

In this study, we investigate the growth trajectory of 519 students in a vocational senior high school in Taiwan. The group-based trajectory model identifies 3 subgroups with distinct trajectories of academic achievement in Math and English. This study reveals baseline predictive factors associated with these trajectories as well as relationships…

This article analyzes the crystallized learning disposition formed in secondary schools and its persistent influence on the transition between educational sectors and the workplace. Using interview data from eight adults who graduated from a prestigious university in Korea, this study reveals that "exam-inclined self-direction," a manner…

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a financial aid application to help students and their families with the costs of college. This report summarizes FAFSA outcomes for AISD seniors in 2014.

With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, California state policymakers are tasked with determining the subgroup threshold for school-level reporting. To inform this decision, this policy brief explores the implications of utilizing various subgroup sizes using data from the CORE Districts. The authors find that the 20+…

The FAFSA application can be completed by aspiring students to access federal financial aid for college enrollment. FAFSA completion rates for AISD seniors were the same in 2011 and 2012, and gaps in FAFSA completion remained among student groups.

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influenced college choice of students who recently enrolled (current freshmen and sophomores) in agriculture programs at Oklahoma's land-grant university, as compared to recently enrolled students (current freshmen and sophomores) in selected agriculture programs at public community colleges…

A representative sample of 987 entering freshmen (45 percent male and 55 percent female) at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), were surveyed regarding their attitudes and demographic characteristics during two-day summer orientation sessions. The typical UMCP freshman was from an upper-middle class home, earned at least a B average…

An alternative view to a 1979 study on institutional quality done by Astin and Solomon is presented. The study indicates significant changes in rank have occurred among the 25 most selective four-year undergraduate institutions. Kuh proposes naturalistic inquiry research. A rebuttal by Astin is appended. (MLW)

To obtain a demographic description of University of Texas at Austin (U.T. Austin) transfer students, to investigate transfer students' evaluations of the university and of their previous college, and to compare transfer students with non-transfer undergraduate students, 1,365 responses to a questionnaire were analyzed. The survey explored student…

The General Educational Development (GED) testing program has been a part of the Alberta High School Equivalency Program since 1981. Between December 1981 and December 1983, 4,333 applicants passed the GED in Alberta, and 802 applicants failed to pass the test. Random samples of 200 individuals from each of these groups were studied to determine…

Changes in access to higher education with regard to sex, race, and social class of college students during 1940-1980, a period of expansion in higher education, are analyzed. Seven hypotheses concerning access to higher education are examined, based on statistical data from various sources. It is hypothesized that race, sex, and class…

Attitudes toward Clemson University of qualified black and white students were compared. A "qualified" student is defined as an eleventh grader in the public schools of South Carolina's Third Congressional District who has scored at least 78 on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test. The objective was to identify differences in…