Complex Pathways: Simultaneous Enrollment in Postsecondary Education (Poster 19)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Wednesday 10:50 a.m.
  In Poster Session: Complex Pathways: Simultaneous Enrollment in Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Simultaneous enrollment is an enrollment pattern that occurs when students enroll in multiple colleges at the same time. Prior work has found positive associations between simultaneous enrollment transfer and degree completion. However, no prior work provides a nuanced look at the specific patterns or factors that predict enrollment. This descriptive study uses a nationally-representative sample to define patterns and identify student and institutional characteristics that predict simultaneous enrollment. We find less than 10% of students simultaneously enroll during their college career. The most prevalent type of simultaneous enrollment occurs when a student enrolled at a 4-year college enrolls in a class at a 2-year college. Socioeconomic status and parent education are the strongest predictors of simultaneous enrollment.

Authors

• Michael Cooper, University of California - Irvine

• Michael Hill, University of California - Irvine

• Rachel B. Baker, University of Pennsylvania

• Joshua Dorman, University of California - Irvine