The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a quantitative metric used by MD and MD-PhD programs to evaluate applicants for admission. This study assessed the validity of the MCAT in predicting training performance measures and career outcomes for MD-PhD students at a single institution. The study population consisted of 153 graduates of the…

Finnish university students graduate later than their counterparts in other countries. For several years, Finnish higher education policy, regulated by Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture, has aimed at fostering the graduation of students in a shorter time than at present. The study at hand provides insights into one of the reforms carried…

Each fall, the American Institute of Physics (AIP's) Statistical Research Center conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The survey is sent to all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and asks them to provide the number of degrees they conferred in the previous academic year. The academic year…

Using the Baccalaureate and Beyond Survey of 1992/93 longitudinal cohort survey, we investigated (a) whether and how much variations in the timing of enrollment, the type of undergraduate institution attended, and type of graduate program pursued contribute to observed racial and ethnic differentials in postbaccalaureate enrollment; and (b)…

The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and The Presidents' Forum have released a new study authored and researched by the Online Learning Consortium's Dr. Jill Buban, which sheds light on how adult learning institutions address students who possess alternative credentials and seek to apply these experiences to a degree. This…

Black males lag behind their female counterparts in bachelor's degree completion. This study examined why Black males leave higher education, eventually return, and complete their degrees. Researchers are aware of some of the challenges that Black males encounter in higher education, but there is little information factors affecting successful…

This paper presents effects after five years of a performance-based scholarship offered to low-income entering freshmen at The University of New Mexico, a medium-sized public university. The program, which was evaluated using a randomized controlled trial, provided eligible students with up to $1,000 in additional aid per semester for four…

Student affairs is a transformative profession, with professionals offering support and assistance to students as they pursue higher education. An increasing number of these professionals have been guided by a foundation in knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained in higher education graduate degree programs. It is estimated that between 15% and…

A key strategy for meeting Colorado's workforce needs is ensuring that Colorado's high school graduates are enrolling and succeeding in career-connected postsecondary education. According to Education Commission of the States, Colorado is one of only a few states that could, in theory, near its educational-attainment goals through increased…

The amount of merit-based scholarship support for graduate students in the United States has increased dramatically. Given this increased investment, does increasing the size of scholarships awarded to the most academically able admitted students substantially increase their probability of enrollment? We found no support for a positive answer to…

This Innovative Practice Category Work In Progress paper presents an application of machine learning and data mining to student performance data in an undergraduate electrical engineering program. We are developing an analytical approach to enhance retention in the program especially among underrepresented groups. Our approach will provide…

Debates about the national high school graduation rate have heated up as various national high school graduation estimates based on the Common Core of Data (CCD) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) do not coincide with one another partially due to different assumptions about graduation age. This study found that (a) while graduation rate by…

The study utilized data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09) to examine factors that affect 4-year college students' likelihoods of completing a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) bachelor's degree within 6 years of entering college. Results highlight the lasting influence of high school…

The present study tested the hypothesis that the international undergraduates at a West Coast American public university during recent years of dramatic enrollment growth should have low retention and graduation rates. This study showed instead that these students were retained and graduated at rates surpassing predictions from research and…

Postsecondary leaders and policy-makers have turned to performance-based aid programs as one way reduce time to degree completion and improve completion rates among low income students. By tying aid eligibility to minimum academic performance standards in college, it is thought that greater academic commitment can be promoted. Underlying these…