Do Transfer Students Graduate? A Comparative Study of Transfer Students and Native University Students

Over a 10‐year period, 1979‐1988, 1, 404 students transferred from Cuyahoga Community College to Kent State University. Their success, measured by attrition and graduation rates, was compared with matched sets of native students. The study yielded three major findings. First, the baccalaureate graduation rate of the urban community college transfer students was equal to, or better than, a matched population of native students. Second, although native students were more likely to drop out during the initial 2 years because of academic deficiency, it was much more difficult to predict baccalaureate attainment by transfer students based on grade point average. Third, although non‐Caucasian students were underrepresented in the transfer student body, they performed as well as non‐Caucasian native students and were just as likely to graduate with the baccalaureate degree. This study clearly implies action for practice parallel to the findings. Residential 4‐year university campuses should actively recruit transfer students from urban community college campuses. There is a need to provide ongoing support services targeted toward transfer students and provided throughout the students’ academic experience. Furthermore, it is stressed that institutions must actively encourage non‐Caucasian students to transfer through institutional commitments that include recruiting and retention components.