Prospective graduate students' noncognitive attributes are commonly evaluated as a part of a holistic review of their admission applications. Yet it is difficult to determine which noncognitive attributes are considered by those who evaluate graduate admissions applications and what approaches they take to measure applicants' noncognitive…

Holistic review is widely practiced in graduate admissions. However, despite its prevalence, there is a need to understand how practitioners approach holistic graduate admissions, how its practice relates to institutional priorities, and its potential implications for equitable access to graduate education. This exploratory mixed method study…

This report provides the Nebraska Legislature with comparative statistics to monitor and evaluate progress toward achieving three key priorities for Nebraska's postsecondary education system: (1) Increase the number of students who enter postsecondary education in Nebraska; (2) Increase the percentage of students who persist and successfully…

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the experiences of adult graduate students who stop-out, or take a break from enrollment, but who ultimately persist by reenrolling. The participants in this study were enrolled in an online master's degree program. Symbolic interactionism was the theoretical framework for this study…

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…

Career technical education (CTE) in the 21st century has been a highly visible component of the American public educational framework, with the majority of graduates estimated to have taken at least one CTE course during their time in school. Yet as CTE continues to benefit from atypically broad levels of support in both legislative circles as…

The term dual, or concurrent, enrollment refers to the broad array of programs available to high school students that allow them to take college-level courses for credit. Dual enrollment creates multiple pathways to college by enabling high school students to take: (1) selected academic courses on college campuses; (2) college-led academic courses…

The pursuit of a master's degree is a significant academic endeavor, one that is influenced by a complex interplay of factors extending beyond traditional academic performance. In this study, we estimate the determinants of timely master's degree completion (i.e., within 3 years) using modern machine learning models such as random forest, decision…

This newsletter provides highlights of the latest research from the Student Transitions Project (STP), with a focus on the first transitions of British Columbia (B.C.) grade 12 graduates into B.C. public post-secondary education. The study was conducted by the Student Transitions Project (STP), a collaborative research partnership involving B.C.'s…

Background: Increasing the number of engineering graduates continues to be a national priority and influences the need to understand persistence of all student pathways. Few studies have focused on engineering transfer student pathways and their success post-transfer, suggesting a need for a more comprehensive analysis of existing research to…

Enrollment in master level programs, particularly online, have been increasing nationwide. Students enrolled in online master's programs tend to be older and more ethnically diverse, and are likely to be balancing work, finances, and family responsibilities with their educational pursuits. These challenges have resulted in higher attrition rates…

Purpose: This research examine participation in a dual enrollment program and a student's race and socioeconomic status. In addition to examining the college retention and graduation rates (student success) of dual and non-dual enrolled students, this study looked at potential race and socioeconomic disparities. Design/methodology/approach: A…

Despite continued growth in enrollments, graduate program attrition rates are of great concern to academic program coordinators. It is estimated that only 40 to 50 percent of students who begin Ph.D. programs complete their degrees. This book describes programs, initiatives, and interventions that lead to overall student retention and success.…

Students who delay immediate postsecondary enrollment may forego individual benefits, or represent misplaced resources for higher education institutions by not persisting once enrolled. Understanding the various pathways of diverse students is especially important in states that are experiencing a major demographic shift. Using a multi-agency…

National research indicates that Deaf, Deaf/Blind, and Hard of Hearing students are less likely to finish high school, enroll in college, or find sustainable employment than their hearing peers. Minnesota is one of the few states that provides data to the National Deaf Center, the leading research center in Deaf, Deaf/Blind, or Hard of Hearing and…