Analysis of the Relationship Between Interest in Continuing to College Based on Academic Achievement of Culinary Vocational High School Students

The low participation of vocational high school graduates in higher education (10% nationally) is a challenge. This study examines the correlation between academic achievement and interest in continuing education among students at SMKN 1 Batusangkar. This quantitative correlational study involved 33 12th-grade students in the Culinary Services Expertise Program. Data were collected via a Google Form questionnaire (Likert scale 1-5, Cronbach's α = 0.85) and report card grades from the odd semester of 2023/2024. Analysis used Pearson Product-Moment correlation with SPSS. The results show a robust correlation between academic achievement and interest in continuing education (r = 0.99, p < 0.001). Students with high grades tend to be interested in college. Academic achievement can predict interest in continuing education with 99.6% accuracy. The findings encourage vocational high schools to prioritize improving academic achievement to boost interest in college, for example, through the implementation of mentoring programs.