Identifying Barriers and Supports of College Access Through Geographic Information System Mapping of Demographic and Admission Data

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Division J Poster Session: College Student Access

Abstract

College enrollment across the U.S. is facing a seven-year decline, with fewer but more diverse high school graduates each year. One approach to addressing college access challenges is to explore trends in student enrollment to identify typical student profiles. This paper portrays the results of a Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of college access and students’ pathways to a public metropolitan urban university. In this study, college access is explored by examining the demographics of admitted college of engineering students in one year of study. This study utilizes a database of engineering undergraduate data and US Census databases. Preliminary findings suggest that student zip codes can predict college access at the institution under study.

Authors

• Aishwary Pawar, University of Michigan - Dearborn

• DeLean A Tolbert, University of Michigan - Dearborn