A person-centered approach identified five empirically unobserved student profiles of first-time full-time university students who shared similar academic patterns, performance measures, and demographic characteristics. "Honors" and "Flourishing" classes tended to graduate within 6 years of attempting their first-college…

The current study was designed to investigate the influence of COVID-19-related worry and online learning attitudes on enrollment behavior using the Reasoned Action Model. Participants (N = 246) completed measures of other-focused COVID-19 worry, self-focused COVID-19 worry, attitudes, perceived normative pressure, perceived behavioral control,…

With its direct impact on admissions procedures and (in)direct impact on campus climate, affirmative action bans can potentially influence student retention. This study uses a national dataset to examine the relationship between affirmative action bans in Oklahoma and New Hampshire and retention rates at public colleges and universities. Our…

This paper reports on the results of a study of 6,654 unique students on the type of research-related activities (e.g., undergraduate research and internships) they participated in while at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). Results indicate that the odds of graduating for students who participated in…

First year nursing students at a small public university participated in a longitudinal study following a bridge course to prepare them for the transition to college and rigorous nursing curriculum. The bridge course included activities to identify challenges and strategies for success, develop belonging with peers and faculty, and explore…

First generation college students (FGCSs) may undergo challenging cultural transitions as they acculturate to higher education. Such challenges may include perceived loss of home ties, navigating unfamiliar social rules, and academic acculturative stress. The Academic Acculturative Stress Scale (AAS Scale) was designed to measure these experiences…

The second year of college is a time when students remain at increased risk of departure. Compared to widely available first-year resources, institutional support for second-year students is more limited. The purpose of this study was to compare second-to-third year retention between students who participated in a comprehensive second-year…

The majority of college students work, and there are well-documented findings about the impacts of student work on academic performance. However, there is little research on the impacts of this work on other aspects of students' lives. In this study we ask: What are the impacts of student employment beyond academic performance? Using our…

Literature shows that undocumented students in the United States experience significant challenges to and through higher education. Only a few studies have uncovered the mechanisms that undocumented students use to persist in college; in particular, the role that family plays on their postsecondary success is understudied. In this qualitative…

Sense of belonging plays a key role in college students' persistence and successful degree completion. This study evaluated how social factors contributed to students' sense of belonging at a major Midwestern university when controlling for individual-level and academic factors. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that students'…

This study explores the choices and experiences of undergraduates who transfer out of for-profit 4-year universities and matriculate into a public university. Interviews with students who moved from one of seven 4-year for-profit universities to a single public university during Fall 2021 indicated a combination of academic and financial factors…

A recent increased focus is being placed on college completion agendas, yet there is limited research on senior attrition. Examining why students leave school when they are so close to being done and what motivated them to return when they did, this exploratory case study analyzes several data sets at one public university where a degree…

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among academic entitlement, life satisfaction, and academic performance as measured by cumulative grade point average. When comparing academically at-risk versus non-at-risk college students, academically at-risk students scored significantly lower on satisfaction with life than their…

Colleges and universities employ conditional admission policies to identify students with subpar academic qualifications, who may need additional support to succeed. Using institutional data of more than 2,000 students, the study applies labeling theory to a quasi-experimental design (difference-in-differences testing), measuring the effects of a…

Higher education institutions have prioritized supporting undecided students with their major and career decisions for decades. This study used a U.S. public research-focused university's large-scale institutional data set and undecided student's retention and graduation rate predictors to demonstrate how to couple student and institutional data…