The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative model to conventional higher education institution (HEI) rankings that can better communicate meaningful differentiation to prospective students. A five-step approach is followed to form clusters and classify HEIs. Cluster analysis is performed on two separate datasets containing (1) public…

The topic of this study was student motivation and intention to graduate at a for-profit university. The research problem addressed is only 23% of bachelor's degree-seeking students at for-profit universities persist to graduate within six years. Students who leave without graduating incur more debt and earn less money over time. Grounded in an…

The purpose of this study was to use the National Survey of Student Engagement's (NSSE) measures of student engagement to determine whether there were different levels of student self-reported engagement scores when comparing freshman and senior level students who attend work colleges (WC) with public, four-year, small, highly residential…

This study shows that graduates from nonprofit educational institutions outperform graduates from for-profit institutions on the four sections of the certified public accountant (CPA) exam. Specifically, it (1) documents univariate differences in CPA exam scores, score distributions, pass rates, and time to complete the CPA exam; (2) investigates…

In recent years, private for-profit education has been the fastest growing segment of the U.S. postsecondary system. Traditional hiring models suggest that employers clearly and efficiently evaluate college credentials, but this changing institutional landscape raises an important question: How do employers assess credentials from emerging…

Unique challenges affecting the influx of online doctoral learners create opportunities to enhance their experience by mitigating limited contact. This quantitative causal-comparative and correlational study examined differences based on frequency and duration of video-based coaching doctoral learners received from their dissertation chairs, at a…

The enrollment of students 25 years of age and older is just below 50% of the total student body in American higher education. Research suggested that these adult students should be taught andragogically. The purpose of this study was to determine where undergraduate, adult students are located within the 4-year private, public, and for-profit…

Over the last 50 years there has been a great deal of research focused on gender inequity in higher education in the U.S. These studies have been limited to individual or regional universities, or discussions on the possible causes of gender inequity in the area of higher education. This study examines gender inequity at doctoral-granting…

In the state of Texas, Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) work to provide mental- health services designed to meet the needs of those who are dealing with a variety of affective, cognitive, and behavioral issues. Multiple educational pathways are available for obtaining the LPC license, with primary distinctions being among the graduate…

This study sought to identify the relationship between a student's level of self-determination towards aspiring to receive a college degree and student retention from the first to second year. Deci & Ryan's (2000) self-determination theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. The fundamental assumption of self-determination is…