Early Leaving in Academia: Who Stays and Who Leaves in Sociology Faculty Careers?

• In Event: 50220 - Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4: Careers in Higher Education

Abstract

Is leaving academia becoming more common among sociology faculty? This extended abstract examines patterns of early academic attrition among sociology faculty in the United States using comprehensive data from the American Sociological Association’s Guide to Graduate Departments (1981-2021). Contrary to prevailing concerns about increasing academic attrition, survival analysis reveals that recent cohorts (graduating in 2000-2014) demonstrate significantly higher retention rates compared to their predecessors from the 1980s and 1990s. While descriptive analyses suggest gender and regional differences in attrition patterns, these associations disappear in multivariate models. Institutional prestige emerges as a robust predictor of academic persistence, with faculty from top-ranked institutions demonstrating significantly lower departure rates. Additionally, certain specializations (methodology, social movements, demography, historical analysis, inequality) correlate with enhanced retention.

Author

• Eehyun Kim, Indiana University-Bloomington