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ERIC Number: EJ980416
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1536-3759
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
To Dream the Impossible Dream: College Graduation in Four Years
Raikes, Mark H.; Berling, Victoria L.; Davis, Jody M.
Christian Higher Education, v11 n5 p310-319 2012
The cost of higher education continues to climb, while calls for increased institutional accountability and the value of a "four-year degree" are ever present. This research sought to identify factors by which consumers might predict four-year graduation rates at institutions within the CCCU. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis of data from 80 CCCU institutions indicated that 48.6% of the variation in four-year graduation rates could be explained by the model, after adjusting for sample size. Five variables were identified as significantly contributing to the variation in four-year graduation rates: 1) institutional financial aid, 2) "real tuition cost" (tuition less institutional financial aid), 3) instructional expenditures per full-time equivalent student, (4) student-faculty ratio, and 5) average GPA of the incoming class. However, institutional aid and "real tuition cost" were the major contributors; once they were factored into the equation, student-faculty ratio and instructional expenditures became insignificant, although average GPA of the incoming class remained significant as each variable was added to the analysis. In light of the ever-rising cost of higher education, this study indicated that information is readily available to help families make informed college-choice decisions. By doing their homework, a family may increase the likelihood of selecting an institution in which their student achieves the seemingly impossible dream: achieving a "four-year" degree in four years. (Contains 2 tables.)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A