Increasing graduation rates continues to be a high priority for administrators at many institutions of higher education. With longitudinal data from a large research university in the Western United States, the purpose of this study was to examine the potential relationship between matriculating with or without a major declared and degree completion. There exists a perception that an early decision about a major is an integral step in ensuring students graduate. Previous research about undeclared students and degree completion, however, is lacking and dated. Conceptually framed within Astin’s (1993) input–environment–output model, logistic regression analyses were conducted using institutional records for the Fall 2010 cohort of 4,489 full-time enrolled, first time in college students. Matriculating as undeclared versus declared was not found to increase, or decrease, the likelihood of graduating in 4 years. With 6-year rates, however, undeclared students were more likely to graduate.
AdelmanC. (2006). The toolbox revisited: Paths to degree completion from high school through college.
Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Education.
2.
AllenJ., & RobbinsS. B. (2008).
Prediction of college major persistence based on vocational interests, academic preparation, and first-year academic performance. Research in Higher Education,
49, 62–79.
3.
AllenJ., & RobbinsS. B. (2010).
Effects of interest-major congruence, motivation, and academic performance on timely degree attainment. Journal of Counseling Psychology,
57(1), 23–35.
4.
AstinA. W. (1993). What matters in college? Four critical years revisited.
San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
5.
AstinA. W., & antonio. l. (2012). Assessment for excellence: The philosophy and practice of assessment and evaluation in higher education (2nd ed.).
Lanham, MD:
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
6.
BaileyT.CalcagnoJ. C.JenkinsD.LeinbachT., & KienzlG. (2006).
Is student right-to-know all you should know? An analysis of community college graduation rates. Research in Higher Education,
47(5), 491–519.
7.
BaileyT. R.JaggarsS. S., & JenkinsD. (2015). Redesigning America’s community colleges: A clearer path to student success.
Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.
8.
9.
BarnesR. A., & PilandW. E. (2011).
Impact of learning communities in developmental English on community college student retention and persistence. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice,
12(1), 7–24.
10.
BerknerL.HeS., & CataldiE. F. (2002). Descriptive summary of 1995-96 beginning postsecondary students: Six years later. Statistical analysis report.
Washington, DC:
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.
11.
BurgetteJ., & Magun-JacksonS. (2009).
Freshman orientation, persistence, and achievement: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of College Retention: Research, Theory & Practice,
10(3), 235–263.
12.
CasselmanB. (2012, November 22). The cost of dropping out. The Wall Street Journal.
ChoyS. P. (2002). Access & persistence: Findings from 10 years of longitudinal research on students.
Washington, DC:
American Council on Education, Center for Policy Analysis.
15.
D’AmicoM. M.MorganG. B.RobertsonS., & RiversH. E. (2013).
Dual enrollment variables and college student persistence. Community College Journal of Research and Practice,
37, 769–779.
16.
DeAngeloL.FrankeR.HurtadoS.PryorJ. H., & TranS. (2011). Completing college: Assessing graduation rates at four-year institutions.
Los Angeles, CA:
Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.
17.
DesJardinsS. L.KimD., & RzoncaC. S. (2003).
A nested analysis of factors affecting bachelor’s degree completion. Journal of College Student Retention,
4(4), 407–435.
18.
DoughertyK. J.JonesS. M.LahrH.NatowR. S.PheattL., & ReddyV. (2016). Performance funding for higher education.
Baltimore, MD:
Johns Hopkins University Press.
19.
DoughertyK. J., & ReddyV. (2013).
Performance funding for higher education: What are the mechanisms? What are the impacts?ASHE Higher Education Report,
39(2).
20.
FooteB. (1980).
Determined- and undetermined-major students: How different are they?Journal of College Student Personnel,
21, 29–34.
21.
Gansemer-TopfA., & SchuhJ. H. (2006).
Institutional selectivity and institutional expenditures: Examining organizational factors that contribute to retention and graduation. Research in Higher Education,
47(6), 613–642.
22.
GordonV. N., & SteeleG. (2015). The undecided college student: An academic and career advising challenge (4th ed.).
Springfield, IL:
Charles C. Thomas.
23.
GraunkeS. S.WoosleyS. A., & HelmsL. L. (2006).
How do their initial goals impact students’ chances to graduate? An exploration of three types of commitment. NACADA Journal,
26(1), 13–18.
24.
HearnJ. C.LewisD. R.KallsenL.HoldsworthJ. M., & JonesL. M. (2006).
Incentives for managed growth: A case study of incentives-based planning and budgeting in a large public research university. The Journal of Higher Education,
77(2), 286–316.
25.
HornA. S. & LeeG. (2016).
The reliability and validity of using regression residuals to measure institutional effectiveness in promoting degree completion. Research in Higher Education,
57(4), 469–496.
26.
HornL., & CarrollC. D. (2006). Placing college graduation rates in context: How 4-year college graduation rates vary with selectivity and the size of low-income enrollment. Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Report. NCES 2007-161.
Washington, DC:
National Center for Educational Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
27.
HosslerD. (2004). Refinancing public universities: Student enrollments, incentive-based budgeting, and incremental revenue. In St. JohnE. P., & ParsonsM. D. (Eds.), Public funding of higher education: Changing contexts and new rationales.
Baltimore, MD:
The Johns Hopkins University Press.
28.
KittendorfL. A. (2012). An exploration of undeclared students’ expectations of experiences for faculty interactions and co-curricular involvement (ProQuest Dissertations and Theses). Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1013836705?accountid=14505
29.
KramerG. L.HigleyH. B., & OlsenD. (1994).
Changes in academic major among undergraduate students. College and University,
69(2), 88–98.
30.
KuhG. D.CruceT. M.ShoupR.KinzieJ. & GonyeaR. M. (2008).
Unmasking the effects of student engagement on first-year college grades and persistence. Journal of Higher Education,
79(5), 540–563.
31.
LeppelK. (2001).
The impact of major on college persistence among freshmen. Higher Education,
41(3), 327–342.
32.
LeuwerkeW. C.RobbinsS.SawyerR., & HovlandM. (2004).
Predicting engineering major status from mathematics achievement and interest congruence. Journal of Career Assessment,
12(2), 135–149.
33.
LewallenW. C. (1992).
Persistence of the “undecided”: The characteristics and college persistence of students undecided about academic major or career choice. Dissertation Abstracts International,
53(12A), 4226.
34.
LewallenW. C. (1995).
Students decided and undecided about career choice: A comparison of college achievement and student involvement. NACADA Journal,
15(1), 22–30.
MayhewM. J.RockenbachA. N.BowmanN. A.SeifertT. A.WolniakG. C.PascarellaE. T., & TerenziniP. T. (2016). How college affects students: 21st century evidence that higher education works (Vol 3).
San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
38.
MillerN. B. (2014).
Nontraditional student graduation rate benchmarks. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education,
62(3), 141–151.
MunozS. M., & MaldonadoM. M. (2012).
Counterstories of college persistence by undocumented Mexicana students: Navigating race, class, gender, and legal status. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education,
25(3), 293–315.
PengC. Y.SoT. S.StageF. K., & St. JohnE. P. (2002).
The use and interpretation of logistic regression in higher education journals: 1988–1999. Research in Higher Education,
43, 259–293.
SzumilasM. (2010).
Explaining odds ratios. Journal of the Canadian Academic of Child Adolescent Psychiatry,
19(3), 227–229.
46.
TandbergD. A., & HillmanN. W. (2014).
State higher education performance funding: Data, outcomes, and policy implications. Journal of Educational Finance,
39(3), 222–243.
47.
The University of Texas at Austin. (2012). Final report of the task force on undergraduate graduation rates. Austin, TX: Author.
48.
TintoV. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition.
Chicago, IL:
University of Chicago Press.
49.
TintoV. (2012). Completing college: Rethinking institutional action.
Chicago, IL:
University of Chicago Press.
50.
TitleyR. W., & TitleyB. S. (1980).
Initial choice of college major: Are only the “undecided” undecided?Journal of College Student Personnel,
21, 293–298.
51.
TitusM. A. (2004).
An examination of the influence of institutional context on student persistence at four-year colleges and universities: A multilevel approach. Research in Higher Education,
45(7), 673–699.
52.
TitusM. A. (2006).
Understanding college degree completion of students with low socioeconomic status: The influence of the institutional financial context. Research in Higher Education,
47(4), 371–398.
