Likelihood of Bachelor Degree Completion after Course Failure in Higher Education

• In Event: 207 - Section on Sociology of Education Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 12. College Enrollment and Completion

Abstract

Of the 4 million new undergraduates enrolled in higher education in 2003, 24 percent of them had discontinued their education after six years (Radford et. al 2010). However, what is the role of course failure in students' likelihood of completing a bachelor's degree? This suggests that not only do we need to better understand what leads to course failure, but also how course failure might be related to student outcomes. This study thus considers the effects of course failure on college graduation rates and time to degree, including the consequences of failing multiple courses. The study also explores whether failing various types of courses matter differently for college completion. Lastly, this study examines whether these relationships vary across demographic groups.

Author

• Tanya Sanabria, University of California-Irvine