Finishing College: The Effects of College Type

This study uses multivariate analysis to determine the odds that a sample of high school seniors will earn a bachelor's degree. The study compares the effects of attending two-year and four-year colleges and finds that where one starts college drastically affects the chances of completing the baccalaureate. Students who start in two-year colleges are less likely to finish than students who start in four-year colleges. However, other variables, such as religious background (i.e., being Jewish), educational aspirations, academic performance in college, participation in a work-study program, and living on campus, exert substantial positive effects on finishing. The study finds that nonwhite students with low educational aspirations are more likely to finish college than similar white students, but white students with high aspirations are more likely to finish than comparable nonwhite students.