Horizontal Transfer-Out Behavior at Four-Year Institutions

• In Event: Student Success: Programs, Policies, and Outcomes

Abstract

The number of transfer students has been growing in the postsecondary landscape in our nation. Out of students who transferred from four-year institutions, about 52% of them transferred to two-year institutions. Although transferring between institutions is an imperative option for many students, the whereabouts of transfer students is little known beyond descriptive statistics. Coupled with nationally represented data, this study investigated student transfer behavior at four-year institutions. The focal point of the current study was patterns of transfer, such as lateral and reverse transfer. After controlling for student and institutional characteristics, academic and social integration had significantly pronounced effects on preventing students from transferring, particularly from reverse transferring.

Authors

• Terry T. Ishitani, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

• Lee D. Flood, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville