Exploring Demographic, Psychological, and Academic Factors Associated With College Student Academic Performance

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: The Psychosocial Dimensions of Academic Achievement for Collegians (Table 9)

Abstract

This longitudinal study analyzed how demographic, psychosocial, and academic factors influence academic performance. Data were from the 2016 Freshman Survey (TFS) and the 2019 College Senior Survey (CSS) with a final sample of 9,338 students. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that demographic factors, such as parental education and gender, significantly predict college GPA. Psychological factors, such as social media use and partying, had relatively weak negative impacts on college GPA; Depression showed a strong negative correlation with college GPA. Academic factors, such as high school performance and academic engagement, played the strongest roles in predicting college GPA. This study expanded existing theories by integrating a broader range of predictors. The practical implications were also discussed.

Authors

• Chaoyue Wu, University of California - Los Angeles

• Hexin Yang, The Ohio State University