As states and higher education institutions continue to face headwinds in attempting to develop and refine initiatives targeting student success metrics and enrollment management objectives, dual enrollment programs have become increasingly prevalent nationwide. Stakeholders have turned to these early postsecondary programs based on their…

This research study explored the perceived impact of the campus visit on the college search process and whether specific elements of the campus visit were perceived to have greater or lesser influence on individuals' college choices. The research sought to specifically address the questions: 1. What impact do matriculated undergraduate college…

There is a great disparity in college-going rates between students from the highest and lowest socio economic quantiles in the United States. This quantitative study looks at messages students receive about college as a way to explore reasons why students choose to attend or not to attend college. [The dissertation citations contained here are…

This investigation examines undergraduate students' perceptions of university rankings and their understanding of the factors that define a quality university, focusing on students at a Flagship State University (FSU) in the Midwest. Following responses to a survey that asked students to indicate the level of importance that rankings played in…

This research study was a qualitative descriptive design to understand the college choice selection of nontraditional African-American students and experiences related to the adult transitional processes of college enrollment. The guiding framework was Iloh's enhanced Hossler-Gallagher model of the decision-making process used for college choice…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what influences Gen Z student college choice. Research on college choice has provided insight into whether or not a student will attend college; however, limited research exists on what impacts Gen Z students' college choice and how marketing and communication influence what college a student…

This study explores the role of social media in addressing educational inequity, focusing on prospective first-generation students' college exploration. The study answers two questions: (1) how do prospective first-generation students describe their social media usage related to college? (2) how do prospective first-generation students describe…

This research study makes a significant contribution to understanding the experiences of Native Hawaiian students in higher education and their college choice process. Research and literature focused on or inclusive of Native Hawaiians in higher education is scarce and limited (Reyes, 2018), so there is very little known about how Native Hawaiian…

The aim of this qualitative study is to examine the perceived impacts that negative stereotypes and/or labels have on the self-efficacy of students who choose to attend historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This research will give insight into students' perceptions of negative stereotypes and the influences that these perceptions…

The purpose of this study was twofold. The first aim was to better understand the selection criteria that college students of varying demographic backgrounds find most important when making a final selection of a college or university during their college search process and the promotional information they find to be most useful, particularly…

This study addressed the college and career choices of international graduate students in the United States, particularly those in the STEM fields. International graduate students receive a large percentage of STEM advanced degrees earned at U.S. colleges and universities. The international demand for higher education in the United States creates…

This study examined New York City Black and Latinx high school students' perceptions of their college counseling experiences. In particular, I sought to understand how the students perceived the role their high school guidance counselors' expectations of their abilities played in the choice of colleges to which they were counseled to apply. Data…

The first goal of this study was to better understand the differences between rural and urban students' selection of academic program upon entering a public university in Pennsylvania. The second goal of this study was to better understand if particular academic programs impacted rural to urban migrations after graduating from the university. The…

This study explored the "lived experiences" of cisgender gay males and their college choice process. During individual interviews, study participants shared their experiences about their college decision-making processes, the variables important to their process, and if their sexual identity played a role in that decision-making process.…

College-choice research typically analyzed students based on a single perspective of their identity rather than from an intersecting perspective. However, such research fails to account for the experience of people with intersecting identities determining their college options. This study explores (a) the factors that contributed to the…