Proportional Hazards Models of Graduation

Abstract

Survival analysis is a statistical tool used to describe the duration between events. Many processes in medical research, engineering, and economics can be described using survival analysis techniques. This research involves studying engineering college student graduation using Cox proportional hazards models. Among male students with American College Test (ACT) scores only, those with better Science ACT scores were more likely to graduate. Among students submitting only Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores upon application, controlling for other descriptors such as in-state residence, hometown population, and student major, students with better SAT Math score and female students were more likely to graduate. In summary, results reported here are the significance of standardized math test scores, gender, and Science ACT scores in explaining variation in student graduation under different conditions.

College Graduation Rates for Minority Students in a Selective Technical University: Will Participation in a Summer Bridge Program Contribute to Success?

“…We believe that this is due to the strong academic support provided to student athletes at Georgia Tech through the athletic department. The finding related to Georgia residency makes sense: Students coming from other states and countries experience stronger selection effects than those attending from in-state (Chimka et al, 2008). Coming from geographically distant sites, they are likely to be more motivated and to have better academic preparation than students who are residents of Georgia.…”

“…In the case of gender, the evidence about persistence to graduation is mixed. Some have found that women are less likely to persist in engineering programs (Takahira, Goodings, & Byrnes, 1998; Zhang, Anderson, Ohland, & Thorndyke, 2004), whereas other research has found that women are more likely to graduate (Chimka, Reed-Rhoads, & Barker, 2008). …”

“…Students who are from in-state in state-supported schools are less likely to graduate, pre sumably reflecting greater heterogeneity among in-state students (Chimka et al, 2008). Finally, students who come from more affluent, resource-rich environments are more likely to persist to graduation from college (Choy, 2002; Huang, Taddese, & Walter, 2000).…”

Engineering Student Retention and Attrition Literature Review

“…Given that many engineering schools in Canada accept students based on their entrance averages, it makes sense that higher academic achievement in high school is correlated with higher retention rates [8] [34]. Although academic achievement is correlated with attrition, it cannot be considered a causal relationship.…”

“…There are also specific measures from a student's high school academic record that have been found to correlate with attrition such as high school average and SAT math score [8] [12] [37] [48]. Also, good study and time management skills that students have from high school have been found to correlate with student success and retention [4].…”