Analysts of institutional performance have occasionally used a peer grouping approach in which they compared institutions only to other institutions with similar characteristics. Because analysts historically have used cluster analysis to define peer groups (i.e., the group of comparable institutions), the author proposes and demonstrates with…

This study used the five benchmarks from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) to form clusters of colleges within the CCSSE classification of extra-large community colleges (greater than or equal to 15,000 students). Cluster analysis produced a five-cluster solution for the 48 identified extra-large community colleges. Using…

This study showcases cluster analysis as a useful tool for those who seek to understand the types of students their community colleges serve. Although educational goal, academic program, and demographics are often used as descriptive variables, it is unclear which, if any, of these are the best way to classify community college students. Cluster…

The authors describe an innovative technique for using Classification and Regression Tree (CART) with student characteristics, including geographical data for analyzing student enrollment patterns between students who enroll within a community college district (stayers) and those who enroll outside the district (movers) at neighboring community…

Research that has traditionally supported program accreditation has tended to be primarily descriptive in nature, focusing on outcomes such as the satisfaction of graduates and passing rates on licensure exams. The study reported here illustrates how research employing multivariate methodologies can go beyond such descriptive reporting to address…