This study examines differences in four-year college graduation rates across ethnicities using data from the National Longitudinal Survey Freshmen. The key findings include: - Black and Hispanic students had lower four-year graduation rates than Asian and White students. - There were significant differences in household characteristics, high school experiences, and college experiences across ethnicities. - Having a mentor on campus was more common among Black and Hispanic students, which may be related to lower rates of parents with a college education for these groups.

1. • In my next steps, I will look into further developing my research
and address the following questions:
• Does parents’ level of education have a positive effect on four-
year college graduation rates?
• Does having a mentor on campus and being involved influence
graduation rates?
• What are the differences in background characteristics between
Latina/os who graduated in four years and those who did not?
Conclusions
Father: X2
= 434.47***
Mother: X2
= 333.06***
X2
= 358.34***
Background
Research Questions
Results
• Recently, there has been an increase in recruitment efforts and
college enrollment of African-American and Latino students (Fischer,
2010). Although it is decreasing, there is still an achievement gap
between minority and white students.
• This study contributes to addressing the questions of whether
college enrollment rates match college graduation rates of certain
student populations because it follows respondents from their first
semester of their freshmen year to the spring semester of their 4th
year.
• Identifying the background and current characteristics of the student
experience helps institutions in developing programs and policies to
decrease the gap in four-year graduation rates.
• The continuation of funding for programs like TRIO and EOP is
important for college campuses to better support the progress of
students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Claude Steele’s Stereotype Threat:
• People who identify with a group who has a negative stereotype
is more likely to underperform; especially where the negative
stereotype is applicable or when the individual is aware of the
stereotype (Fischer, 2010; Steele, 1998).
• i.e. “Students of color are not as smart as white students.”
• Sanford’s Theory of Challenge and Support:
• Student’s require a balance of challenge and support that is
critical in their development in their college experiences
(Sanford, 1962).
• Too much challenge can and not enough support can lead the
student to withdraw from their development (Sanford 1962).
• Are there differences in four-year graduation rates across
ethnicities?
• Do household characteristics, high school and college experiences
vary across ethnicities?
A Longitudinal Study of Racial and Ethnic Variation in
College Graduation Rates
Alex I. Yepez • Sociology • Mentor: Dr. Luis A. Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Methodology
• I utilized individual-level data from the National Longitudinal Survey
Freshmen (2008).
• These are students from selective public and private institutions in
the United States
• I explore the relationships between race and a variety of outcome
variables using the chi-square test.
• Some of the outcome variables include four-year graduation rates,
household characteristics, high school and college experiences
Table 1. Descriptive Portrait of National Longitudinal Survey Freshmen Sample
Asian Black Hispanic White
Variable % % % % X
2
Four-Year Graduation Rates 75.1 57.6 67.0 75.7 102.65***
Household Characteristics
Family Income 309.04***
< $24,999 6.4 13.1 14.8 1.8
$25,000-$49,999 15.1 26.4 23.1 11.7
$50,000-$74,999 18.6 23.8 17.0 14.7
$75,000-$99,999 15.9 11.9 14.1 18.9
=>100,000 44.1 24.8 31.0 52.9
Parents' College Attainment
Father college graduate 82.0 59.2 62.7 85.6 434.47***
Mother college graduate 70.4 55.9 51.7 79.4 333.08***
Household Composition 358.34***
Both Mother and Father 85.7 52.0 67.8 81.0
Mother only 9.5 40.0 26.4 14.6
Father only 2.6 4.2 3.2 3.0
Neither 2.2 3.8 2.6 1.3
High School Experiences
Type of School 40.78***
Public 75.4 70.3 66.4 71.6
Private (Religious) 10.8 14.7 2.0 13.3
Private (non-Religious) 13.7 14.9 13.5 14.8
Worked during high school (1=yes) 54.7 63.8 65.5 67.3 38.58***
Had mentor during high school (1=yes) 49.9 61.7 58.3 59.7 26.19***
College Experiences
Living Arrangement 164.67***
On Campus 58.2 64.7 50.5 49.1
Off campus (independent) 35 26.6 38.5 42.9
Off campus (w/ parents) 6.0 8.0 8.3 5.8
Other 0.8 0.6 2.7 2.2
Educational Aspirations 24.87*
less than Bachelor's 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.4
Bachelor's 26.6 26.7 26.8 26.5
Master's 41.7 36.2 41.0 43.1
Ph.D. 12.2 18.5 16.8 15.5
M.D. or LLD 19.2 18.1 15.1 14.5
Involved in co-curricular activities 82.4 82.9 77.4 80.4 9.29*
Had mentor during college 39.2 52.3 46.2 39.8 37.04***
Had a job during their senior year 64.1 79.3 72.8 68.7 38.02***
N = 3,924 959 1051 916 998
* p-value < .05; ** p-value < .01; *** p-value < .001
X2
= 102.64***
Next Steps
• According to my results, Blacks and Hispanics have lower four-year
graduation rates than their Asian and White counterparts.
• There are significant differences in college experiences across
ethnicities. Such as, Black and Hispanic respondents are more likely
to have a mentor on their college campus.
• This can be attributed to Parents’ college attainment, in which
Black and Hispanics were less likely to have parents with a college
education. This gives them the opportunity to be apart of first-
generation support programs such as TRIO and EOP.