ERIC Number: ED059691
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1972-Feb
Pages: 78
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
College Dropouts: A National Profile.
Astin, Alexander W.
The major purpose of the present study was to answer a series of related questions concerning college dropouts: What is the current dropout rate nationally among students attending colleges in the United States? How do dropout rates vary by type of institution? In what ways do dropouts and nondropouts differ? What factors in the college environment affect the student's chances of dropping out? How much difference does the student's ability make? How important are background factors such as sex, race, and parental background? The data were obtained from students attending a representative sample of 217 institutions, including 2-year colleges, 4-year colleges, and universities. The major findings can be summarized as follows: (1) national dropout rates seem to be somewhat lower than has been suggested in other recent reports; (2) dropout rates at 2-year colleges are somewhat higher than those at 4-year colleges; (3) the major predictors of persistence are the student's grades in high school and his scores on tests of academic ability; and (4) using predictors of the student's persistence in a multiple regression equation, it is possible to compute an expected persistence rate at individual colleges. (HS)
Descriptors: Academic Failure, College Students, Dropout Rate, Dropout Research, Dropouts, Higher Education
Office of Research, American Council on Education, 1 Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C. 20036
Publication Type: N/A
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: American Council on Education, Washington, DC. Office of Research.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Research Report (Vol. 7, No. 1, 1972)