Studying Attrition and Degree Completion Behavior among First-Generation College Students in the United States

Blue-Collar Scholars?: Mediators and Moderators of University Attrition in First-Generation College Students

“…Time was measured using four different parameters to account for the nonlinear effects found in attrition research, specifically, that risk for attrition increases over the first year, with the highest nonenrollment rates observable just after the first year, at the sophomore fall semester, and then attrition decreases thereafter (DesJardins et al, 2002; Ishitani, 2003, 2006). Thus, the sophomore fall semester will hereafter be referred to as the time of “greatest observable nonenrollment” (GONE).…”

“…However, even the most exhaustive longitudinal studies of parental education and attrition have not yet examined moderating and mediating effects (Ishitani, 2003, 2006). This is partly because it has been most relevant thus far to find appropriate statistical methods to model attrition, a highly nonlinear phenomenon (DesJardins, Ahlburg, & McCall, 2002; Ishitani, 2003, 2006).…”

“…This is partly because it has been most relevant thus far to find appropriate statistical methods to model attrition, a highly nonlinear phenomenon (DesJardins, Ahlburg, & McCall, 2002; Ishitani, 2003, 2006). This is also partly because of a “lack of available time-varying items in the study data” (Ishitani, 2006, p. 865) to capture college experience-related factors that predict attrition.…”

High School Substance Use as a Predictor of College Attendance, Completion, and Dropout

“…In agreement with previous research (NCES, 2012b), Asian Americans tended to reach higher education levels than all other students, while Hispanic Americans and Black Americans were more likely to drop out of college than White Americans. Family background variables were important predictors of greater educational achievement (Ishitani, 2006). Similar to previous reports, the strongest predictor of higher achievement was high school grades (Goldrick-Rab, 2006; Herzog, 2005; Kuh et al, 2008).…”

“…Family background predictors are important in their own right, but also reflect socioeconomic status. First-generation college students may have lower retention rates than students with a parent who attended college, even if the parent did not earn a degree (e.g., Ishitani, 2006). Scarce empirical evidence for the link between socioeconomic status and dropping out suggests that students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds struggle more during college and have lower incomes and educational attainment after college (Walpole, 2003).…”