The First Generation Student Experience
More first-generation students are attending college than ever before, and policy makers agree that increasing their participation in higher education is a matter of priority.
Davis / March 2010
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.
