Four-Year College Completion Rates: What Accounts for the Variation?

Abstract

Higher education has been touted as critical to social mobility, even greater longevity; however, these benefits accrue with degree completion, and many students who begin college never earn a degree. Using the most recent Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), we sought to understand variation in college completion rates and test hypotheses related to a set of institutional factors potentially associated with higher completion rates. Our findings suggest that greater attention to low-resource institutions is paramount if higher education is to fulfill the aspiration of promoting social mobility and equity. Several policy interventions could be used to combat ongoing disparities.