Student Motivation and Perseverance: Do They Explain College Graduation?

• Main Authors: Rasha Ashraf, Jonathan M. Godbey, Milind M. Shrikhande, Tracy A. Widman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Indiana University Office of Scholarly Publishing 2018-10-01
• Series: Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Subjects: College Retention; Higher Education; College Graduation Rate
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/josotl/article/view/22649

  We examine whether college students’ persistence in finding a suitable major field of study influences the likelihood of graduation. We find that students who make an effort to select a suitable major early in their college careers graduate in a more timely fashion. Although changing majors is associated with delayed graduation, struggling students can improve graduation likelihood by switching to a more suitable major. However, performance improvement after switching is necessary for successful completion of a degree. These results indicate that colleges and universities should allocate resources to supporting students in their search for an appropriate major and empower students by providing course guidance and counseling.