Remedial Enrollment During the 1st Year of College, Institutional Transfer, and Degree Attainment

This study examined whether remediation enrollment during the 1st year of college influenced individuals’ college transfer and attainment and if effects varied by racial and socioeconomic subgroups. Results based on analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth of 1997 data indicated that for 2-year college students, remediation enrollment in both mathematics and English improved the likelihood of transferring to a 4-year college and earning a bachelor’s degree. For 4-year college students, however, enrolling in any postsecondary remediation—only math, only English, or both subjects—during their 1st year in college increased their chances of transferring to a 2-year college in the following years. Enrolling in at least 1 math remedial class (i.e., only math and both subjects) appeared to hinder 4-year college students from graduating on time. Subgroup analyses showed no strong evidence that remediation enrollment played a significant role in increasing or reducing the racial and socioeconomic gaps in college attainment.