This study examined the effects of unsubsidized federal Stafford loans on six-year degree attainment at 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S., and how these differentially impact students across income groups. For this, nationally representative data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS:04/09) and the Integrated Postsecondary…

With student loan debt reaching approximately $1.5 trillion, many are concerned that student loans may be the next financial bubble to burst. They cite students with loans of more than $100,000 and ballooning loan default rates. They contend that borrowing for higher education may not be worth the financial risks. Some even argue that students…

This report provides a snapshot of certain aspects of transfer student success and costs using data from four transfer cohorts matriculating at four-year institutions between 2006-07 and 2009-10. These cohorts allowed for the tracking of students post-transfer for up to six years. Transfer efficiency can have a direct and significant effect on the…

We examine whether college students' persistence in finding a suitable major field of study influences the likelihood of graduation. We find that students who make an effort to select a suitable major early in their college careers graduate in a more timely fashion. Although changing majors is associated with delayed graduation, struggling…

With student loan debt reaching approximately $1.4 trillion, critics are concerned that student loans may be the next financial bubble to burst. They cite students with loans of more than $100,000 and ballooning loan default rates. They contend that borrowing for higher education may not be worth the financial risks, especially for students who…

This report provides students, parents, and others with employment, earnings, and other outcome information on graduates of Arkansas's state-supported (public) institutions of higher education. It is intended to help readers make informed decisions about education and career choices. As specified in Arkansas Act 852 of 2015, information detailing…

A community college's success hinges in large part on the effectiveness of its teaching faculty, no more so than in times of major organizational change. However, any large-scale foundational shift requires institutional buy-in, with the onus on leadership to create an environment where everyone is working together toward the same endpoint.…

Purpose: This paper aims to compare the students enrolled to a three-year undergraduate, bachelor degree on Security of Computer Systems and Networks, offered in traditional, classroom fashion as well as online at the University of Milan (Italy). Its main purposes are to estimate the main characteristics of the two different student populations…

Millions of high school students take Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which can provide college credit. Using nationally representative data, I identify a diverse set of higher education outcomes that are related to receipt of AP college credit. Institution fixed effects regression reduces bias associated with varying AP credit policies and…

This three-article dissertation sought to explore the potential causal link of students' collegiate residence with three broad categories of student outcomes. Using data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, each article employed propensity score matching in an effort to reduce selection bias associated with a student's…

During the last decade, scholars and journalists in Canada raised alarm bells about the efficacy and viability of graduate humanities programmes across the country. The Department of History at the University of Saskatchewan decided to analyse the outcomes of its graduate programmes at the Doctoral and Master's levels, from 1990 to 2015. We…

Despite improved access in expanded postsecondary systems, the great majority of bachelor's degree graduates are taking considerably longer than the allotted four years to complete their four-year degrees. Taking longer to finish one's BA has become so pervasive in the United States that it has become the norm for official statistics released by…

This paper describes the results of long-term follow-up of need-based scholarship awardees at a community college as they made progress toward their goal of associate's degrees and/or bachelor's degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. From 2004 through 2012, through National Science Foundation funding,…

This report provides an annual update on performance metrics for the Maricopa County Community Colleges District (MCCCD), including progress toward MCCCD Governing Board Outcomes. Three key areas are analyzed to determine student and organizational performance as follows: (1) Leading Indicators of Student Success; (2) Completion Outcomes; and (3)…

These technical appendixes accompany the study, "Getting to Graduation on Time at California State University." The study uses a combination of campus-wide and student-level data from the California State University (CSU) system to examine the relationship between course-taking and on-time graduation. The first appendix provides…