Consistently Undermatched? Investigating and Comparing Different Operationalizations of Academic Undermatching

• In Event: Supporting the College Success of Underserved Students: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Research on academic undermatching - when students enroll in colleges that are less academically selective than those for which they are academically prepared – has increased dramatically. One of the challenges in this research is to accurately define students who are academically undermatched. Past researchers have defined undermatching in a variety of ways. Utilizing definitions from past research, this study operationalizes undermatching eight different ways and compares the outcomes of these different operationalizations. Results illustrate that different operationalizations of undermatching do not consistently identify a student as“undermatched.” Significant differences in the demographic characteristics of students (i.e. gender, ethnicity, parental education, and socioeconomic status) were also found. The findings should impact current discussions, policies, and practices surrounding academic undermatching.

Authors

• Ann Marie Gansemer-Topf, Iowa State University

• Ulrike Genschel, Iowa State University

• Jillian Downey, Iowa State University