An Analytical Investigation of the Characteristics of the Dropout Students in Higher Education

Mortagy, Boghikian-Whitby, & Helou / / April 2018


Student dropout in higher education institutions is a universal problem. This study identifies the characteristics of dropouts. The paper develops a mathematical model to predict students who may dropout. The sample includes 555 freshmen in a non-profit private university. The study uses both descriptive statistics, such as cross tabulation, and a binary regression model to predict student dropout. There are two major contributions for the paper. First, it identifies the dropout rates of each group, a finding that may be used to better allocate resources at higher education institutions. Second, it develops a predictive model that may be used in order to predict the probability of a student dropping out and take preventive actions.

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