Academic Success of Transfer Students and Native Students in Southeast Alabama

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify variables associated with the baccalaureate graduation status and number of terms enrolled for transfer students who have completed a portion (at least 30 semester hours) of their undergraduate program at an Alabama community college and who later transferred to a public four-year institution in Alabama to complete their baccalaureate degree and the baccalaureate graduation status and time to graduation of native students who completed all of their baccalaureate degree at one four year-university. In conducting the study, the researcher randomly selected academic records of two student groups: (1) native students who began their college career at Troy University, and (2) transfer students who began their college career at one of the primary feeder community colleges for Troy University between 1998 and 2000, and who later transferred at least 30 semester hours of credit to Troy University with a goal of completing their baccalaureate degree there. In addition, the researcher equally subdivided these two groups (transfer or native) by declared major into three discipline categories: business, education, or nursing. The total number of students in the data set was 300. The dependent variable was graduation status – whether or not a student was graduated. Student demographic variables were as follows: (a) age, (b) gender, (c) ethnicity, (d) major, (e) type (transfer or native), (f) cumulative grade point average, and (g) number of terms enrolled. Results from the statistical analysis showed that transfer students had a slightly higher mean cumulative grade point average than the native students. In addition, the transfer students had been graduated at a slightly higher rate than the native students. While the transfer students had higher grade point averages and were graduated more often, native students were enrolled in fewer terms during their college experience. There was a statistically significant relationship between the predictor variables of college major, student type (transfer or native), cumulative grade point average, and terms enrolled and whether or not a person was graduated with a baccalaureate degree. There was no statistically significant relationship between the predictor variables of age, gender, and ethnicity and whether or not a person was graduated with a baccalaureate degree.