The purpose of the National Center's studies and reports, including "Measuring Up, 2006," is to stimulate public policies that will improve the effectiveness and accessibility of higher education. This document is the fourth national report card on higher education in the United States. As in earlier editions, the 2006 report card…

A study was performed to compare the attrition and graduation rates of students who transferred from Cuyahoga Community College (CCC), in Cleveland, Ohio, to Kent State University (KSU) to the rates of native KSU students. Two matched groups of transfer and native students 4 years apart were studied, using only those students who had attended high…

This study examined the changing social and economic impact of college attendance in Pennsylvania between 1980 and 1990. It is based on a sample of over 500,000 census interviews. The study found that, in general, individuals who attended and finished college will marry other individuals who went to college, and that both parents will work and…

This study examined the impact of precollege variables and three motivational factors on retention and grades of 581 high risk college freshmen. The precollege variables were gender, ethnicity, parental education, financial aid status, and high school rank. The motivational factors were identified from the Noel-Levitz College Student Inventory…

This paper presents a model of college choice that suggests that students' choice of college can be related to perceived "capital conversion" benefits. The model was tested on an evenly distributed sample (n=22,109) of students; one group attending elite colleges (with average freshman Scholastic Assessment Test scores of 1200 or higher)…

A study was done of minority high school graduates from Seattle, Washington, and how they moved into and through the higher education system. The study compared minority students and a group of white students all of whom were seniors in the Seattle public high schools during the 1982-83 academic year. In the Spring of 1989, 48 postsecondary…

Student and institutional characteristics related to college freshman persistence were studied. Persistence was examined for 5 institutions (5,950 students) at 4 points in time: end of first term, reenrollment in the spring, end of spring term, and reenrollment in the fall of the sophomore year. Data from a variety of sources were used, and…

The study examined barriers to education perceived by a sample of 119 students aged 25 and over attending small private liberal arts colleges in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Among findings were that the number of children a respondent had impacted his or her perception of situational and dispositional barriers; the employment status of…

The question of whether the social composition of postsecondary education in Australia has changed since the 1930s and 1940s is analyzed. Based on a review of studies of higher education students in Australia, it is proposed that concern for equity in access to education developed during the 1960s and has continued until the present. Attention is…

The overall development of the California Student Opportunity and Access (Cal-SOAP) Program and its achievement of legislatively-established objectives are reviewed, along with the objectives and accomplishments of five pilot projects. Cal-Soap is an experimental program that promotes interinstitutional efforts to increase postsecondary…

A survey of Alaska high school seniors was conducted in fall 1982 to determine students' opinions of their overall high school experience, their need for additional assistance in selected academic and career planning areas, general demographic information, their plans after high school graduation, and specific postsecondary plans. A total of 3,505…

In 1988, a telephone survey was conducted of students at Prince George's Community College (PGCC) who were enrolled in fall 1987, but who were not registered for spring 1988. The purposes of the study were to ascertain students' reasons for not returning to PGCC and to determine what the college could have done to influence the non-returning…

A guide to acquiring information needed about postsecondary education outcomes is presented for campus and state-level officials. Attention is directed to: over 200 outcome measures or indicators; standard definitions of each outcome measure; data sources and procedures to acquire data for each outcome measure; and suggestions concerning the…

Research findings relating to the impact of student financial aid policies and practices on women are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the importance of student aid for improving economic opportunity and security for women. The primary focus is on institutional practices and student aid programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education…

Data on 1982 summer and fall college enrollments in Pennsylvania are presented. Tables are presented on the following: total enrollments in higher education institutions by type of institution, fall 1973-1982; enrollments in institutions by sex, fall 1973-1982; summer school registrations; total enrollments in colleges and universities by…