Empowering Diversity in Graduate Programs: Factors Influencing Minoritized Students’ Graduate Education Attainment

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: The Experiences of Black and Brown Students to and Through Higher Education (Table 12)

Abstract

Efforts to enhance the representation of minoritized students in graduate programs are ongoing. Utilizing the critical quantitative perspective and Breneman’s model of PhD production, this study examines factors impacting the likelihood of minoritized students' attainment of graduate education. Analyzing 2018 Gates Millennium Scholars Survey Data using bivariate logistic regression, we identified predictors of graduate degree attainment. Characteristics such as being a Black, female, and GMS scholarship recipient increase the likelihood of obtaining a graduate degree, while being a first-generation college student decreases it. Perception of an educational institution as a perfect school and some of specific majors are also found to be significant predictors for seeking a graduate degree. Implications and recommendations are discussed based on the findings.

Authors

• Alena Chaplygina, College of William & Mary

• Anarbek Yelshibayev, College of William & Mary

• Bingqing Wu, College of William & Mary