NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

Statistical Analysis Report September 1998

Stopouts or Stayouts?

Undergraduates Who Leave College

in Their First Year

Laura J. Horn

MPR Associates, Inc.

C. Dennis Carroll

Project Officer

National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Educational Research and Improvement NCES 1999-087
U.S. Department of Education

Richard W. Riley

Secretary

Office of Educational Research and Improvement

C. Kent McGuire

Assistant Secretary

National Center for Education Statistics

Pascal D. Forgione, Jr.

Commissioner

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting,

analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills

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September 1998

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Suggested Citation

U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. Stopouts or Stayouts?

Undergraduates Who Leave College in Their First Year, NCES 1999-087, by Laura Horn. Project

Officer: Dennis Carroll. Washington DC: 1998.

Contact:

Aurora D'Amico

(202) 219-1365
iii

Highlights

• Nearly 30 percent of 1989–90 beginning students left postsecondary education before

the beginning of their second year. Sixteen percent of students enrolled in the 4-year

sector left, while 42 percent of students enrolled in the public 2-year sector did so.

• Among students who left the 4-year sector before the beginning of their second year, a

majority (64 percent) returned within 5 years (stopped out), and 36 percent did not return (stayed out). Among students who left the public 2-year sector, half stopped out

and half stayed out.

• Among stopouts in the 4-year sector, 42 percent returned to the same institution, and

58 percent transferred elsewhere. In the public 2-year sector, the opposite pattern occurred: 57 percent returned to the same institution, and 43 percent transferred.

• At least half of stopouts who transferred—65 percent from the 4-year sector and 51

percent from the public 2-year sector—reenrolled in the 2-year sector.

• About one-third of stopouts from the 4-year sector earned some postsecondary credential within 5 years; those who transferred earned primarily vocational certificates or associate’s degrees, and those who returned to the same institution earned primarily

bachelor’s degrees.

• In the 4-year sector, stopouts who left private, not-for-profit institutions and returned to

their original institution were much more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree and much

less likely to subsequently leave without a degree than their counterparts in public institutions.

• Attainment rates for stopouts from the public 2-year sector were higher for those who

transferred—nearly half earned some credential (almost exclusively vocational certificates)—than for those who returned to the same institution. About one-quarter (27 percent) of the stopouts who returned earned a credential (half earned certificates and half

earned associate’s degrees).

• In both the 4-year and public 2-year sectors, students who stayed out after leaving in

their first year were more likely than stopouts to be older, to have children, and to work

full time. Stayouts were also less academically integrated into their program than were

stopouts.
iv

Foreword

This report examines the educational experiences of students who leave college before the

beginning of their second year. It tracks the path of those who return (stopouts) to determine

where and when they reenrolled. The report also compares the background and school experiences of stopouts with those who do not return (stayouts). Because of fundamental differences in

the student populations and the missions of the institutional sectors, the analysis was conducted

separately for students enrolled in 4-year institutions and those enrolled in public 2-year institutions. Because of their diverse nature and small sample sizes, students in other types of postsecondary institutions including those in the private, for-profit sector; public less-than-2-year

institutions; and private, not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions were excluded. In total, these

individuals represent about 14 percent of the undergraduate population of beginning students.

The report is based on data from the 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:90/94). The BPS survey is the longitudinal component of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:90), a nationally representative sample that includes

students enrolled in all types of postsecondary institutions, ranging from 4-year colleges and universities to less-than-2-year vocational institutions. The BPS:90/94 cohort consists of students

who enrolled in postsecondary education for the first time during the 1989–90 academic year.

The cohort was followed up in 1992 and 1994; it therefore offers a wide range of information

regarding student persistence and degree attainment 5 years after members of the cohort first enrolled in postsecondary education.

The estimates (mostly percentages) presented in the report were produced using the

BPS:90/94 Data Analysis System (DAS), a microcomputer application that allows users to specify and generate their own tables. The DAS produces design-adjusted standard errors necessary

for testing the statistical significance of differences shown in the tables. For more information

regarding the DAS, readers should consult appendix B of this report.
v

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank all the reviewers of this report, whose criticism and comments

strengthened and clarified the final document. Ellen Bradburn from Education Statistics Services

Institute (ESSI) provided a comprehensive methodological and substantive review of the first

draft. Reviewers of the final report included Robert Burton, John Wirt, and Kristen Perry at the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Daniel Goldenberg at the Office of the Undersecretary (OUS), and Jennifer Kron at the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE).

At MPR Associates, Susan Choy reviewed the draft and provided helpful comments. Barbara Kridl, Andrea Livingston, Karyn Madden, Mary Mack, and Francesca Tussing edited and

produced the report.

vii

Table of Contents

Page

Highlights .................................................................................................................................. iii

Foreword.................................................................................................................................... iv

Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................... v

List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. ix

List of Figures............................................................................................................................ xi

Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1

Survey Data and Definition of Terms ..................................................................................... 3

Definition of Terms .............................................................................................................. 3

First-Year Persister ......................................................................................................... 3

First-Year Stopout .......................................................................................................... 4

First-Year Stayout .......................................................................................................... 4

Departure Rates ............................................................................................................... 4

Overview of First-Year Leavers .............................................................................................. 7

Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions .................................................................................. 9

Stopout Path From Public 2-Year Institutions....................................................................... 19

Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out? ..................................................................................... 23

Controlling for Factors Related to Early Departure .............................................................. 23

4-Year Sector................................................................................................................... 24

Public 2-Year Sector ...................................................................................................... 27

Stopouts Versus Stayouts ...................................................................................................... 28

Student Characteristics.................................................................................................... 30

Educational Experiences of Students Who Left the 4-Year Sector................................. 33

Educational Experiences of Students Who Left the Public 2-Year Sector ..................... 43

Summary and Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 45

Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 49
Table of Contents

viii

Page

Appendix A—Glossary ............................................................................................................. 51

Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology .................................................................. 61
ix

List of Tables

Table Page

1 Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to their persistence

or departure status in 1989–90, by first institution attended ........................................... 8

2 Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to first institution

attended, by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 ................................................. 8

3 Among 1989–90 beginning students who stopped out in their first year, the percentage

with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher and the average GPA, by stopout

return status for those who left in 1989–90 and first institution attended....................... 11

4 Among 1989–90 beginning students who stopped out in their first year, the percentage

who attempted more than one degree and the average number of degrees attempted

by 1994, by stopout return status for those who left in 1989–90 and first institution

attended ........................................................................................................................... 12

5 Among 1989–90 beginning students who stopped out in their first year, the percentage

distribution according to the year they returned, by stopout return status for those who

left in 1989–90 and first institution attended .................................................................. 14

6 Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to their highest

degree attained or enrollment status in 1994, by persistence or departure status in

1989–90 and first institution attended............................................................................. 16

7 Among first-year stopouts from public 2-year institutions who had an associate’s

degree (AA) objective in 1989–90, the percentage distribution according to degree

attainment in 1994, by stopout return status.................................................................... 21

8 Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their enrollment from a

4-year institution in their first year and the adjusted percentage after accounting for

the covariation of variables listed in the table................................................................. 25

9 Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their enrollment from a

public 2-year institution in their first year and the adjusted percentage after accounting

for the covariation of variables listed in the table ........................................................... 29

10a Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their

enrollment in their first year, according to selected demographic characteristics, by

departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended............................................... 31
List of Tables

x

Table Page

10b Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students in 4-year institutions who

interrupted their enrollment in their first year, according to selected demographic

characteristics, by departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended................. 32

11a Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their enrollment in their first year, according to socioeconomic status and race–ethnicity, by

departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended............................................... 34

11b Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students in 4-year institutions who

interrupted their enrollment in their first year, according to socioeconomic status and

race–ethnicity, by departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended ................. 34

12 Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to attendance

intensity, by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended... 35

13 Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students with a first-year grade point average

(GPA) of 3.0 or higher and the average GPA, by persistence or departure status in

1989–90 and first institution attended............................................................................. 36

14a Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students who reported “sometimes or often”

participating in various academic activities, by persistence or departure status in

1989–90 and first institution attended............................................................................. 37

14b Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to their academic

integration index score, by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first

institution attended .......................................................................................................... 39

15 Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students according to their use of counseling and

job placement services at the first institution, by persistence or departure status in

1989–90 and first institution attended............................................................................. 40

16 Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to their overall

satisfaction with their first institution, by persistence or departure status in 1989–90

and first institution attended............................................................................................ 41

17 Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students according to financial aid status, by

persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended........................ 42

B1 Standard errors for text table 6: Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning

students according to their highest degree attained or enrollment status in 1994, by

persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended........................ 63
xi

List of Figures

Figure Page

1 Stopout path for 1989–90 beginning students in 4-year institutions and outcomes in

1994 for first-year persisters and stopouts....................................................................... 10

2 Persistence and attainment outcomes in 1994 of beginning students who stopped out

of 4-year institutions in their first year (1989–90), by control of institution................... 15

3 Stopout path for 1989–90 beginning students in public 2-year institutions and outcomes in 1994 for first-year persisters and stopouts ....................................................... 20

1

Introduction

Undergraduates who complete their first year in postsecondary education and reenroll in

their second year are more likely than not to attain a degree. Whereas about half of all students

who enter postsecondary education complete some postsecondary credential within 5 years

(Berkner et al. 1996), about two-thirds of first-year persisters do so.1 Thus, students’ experiences

in their first year of college may have a lasting influence on their long-term persistence.

Nearly one-third of all undergraduates leave postsecondary education in their first year, a

greater proportion than in all later years.2 Student characteristics associated with early departure

are typically linked to nontraditional status: being older, working full time, attending school part

time, and having financial and family obligations that may conflict with attending school (Horn

1996, Lee 1996, Moore 1995, Mohammadi 1994, Feldman 1993). While students who leave are

generally less academically prepared and have lower grades than those who stay, some studies

that interviewed leaving students also reported that students cited financial reasons, family or job

responsibilities, and personal problems as reasons for leaving more often than they did school or

academic reasons (Lee 1996, Ogletree 1992, Kent State University 1993, Bonham and Luckie

1993, White 1971). For example, one survey of 399 leavers from a community college found that

less than 20 percent of students cited school factors as reasons for leaving; 40 percent cited lack

of time or money; and 67 percent cited “other events or circumstances” (Bonham and Luckie

1993).

Other studies have reported that many students who left did so with intentions to return

(Sydow 1996, University of Maryland 1987, Bradley 1975). Little has been reported, however,

on whether or not students actually do return, and if so, how successful they are in completing

their postsecondary education. That is the focus of this report. Taking advantage of a national

longitudinal survey of beginning postsecondary students (BPS) who began their postsecondary

education in 1989–90, the analysis will address the following questions:

• Among undergraduates who drop out in their first year, who comes back within 5 years

and what is their subsequent persistence and attainment?

 

1BPS:90/94 Data Analysis System.

2At least within 5 years. Based on the BPS:90/94 Data Analysis System.
Introduction

2

• How do students who return differ from those who stay out?

The study includes a multivariate analysis to control for the interrelationship of factors that

are associated with early departure from college.
3

Survey Data and Definition of Terms

The analysis is based on the 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Student (BPS:89/94) survey, the longitudinal component of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:90).

The BPS sample consists of undergraduates who enrolled in postsecondary education for the first

time in 1989–90. They were then followed up in 1992 and 1994. Thus, persistence and attainment can be determined for a 5-year period. Although this relatively short time frame precludes

analysis of students who stop out for long periods of time, it permits tracking those who leave

and return within a few years.

For most of the analysis, results are presented separately for the 4-year sector and public 2-

year sector. The 4-year sector is further disaggregated into public institutions and private, notfor-profit institutions.3 The analysis does not include any private, for-profit institutions or other

less-than-4-year institutions, which account for about 14 percent of the beginning postsecondary

student population.4 Students in these institutions are too diverse to be grouped together and the

samples of each institution type are too small to be included in the analysis.

Definition of Terms

The analysis is based on students who enrolled in postsecondary education for the first time

in 1989–90. These students are referred to in the tables and figures as beginning students. Among

the beginning students, there are three outcome groups that are compared throughout the report:

first-year persisters, stopouts, and stayouts. The three groups and other terms used in the report

are described below.

First-Year Persister

A beginning student who was continuously5 enrolled (at any level of institution, full time or

part time) from the time he or she first started in the academic year 1989–90 and who remained

enrolled the subsequent year (1990–91) was considered a first-year persister. This student may or

may not have left in subsequent enrollment periods. A student who transferred in the first year,

 

3See the glossary in appendix A for a detailed definition of institution types under the “OFCO8990” entry.

4See table 3.

5“Continuous” takes into account summer breaks; they are allowed 4 or fewer months of nonenrollment.
Survey Data and Definition of Terms

4

regardless of where he or she transferred as long as there was no more than a 4-month break, was

also considered a first-year persister (e.g., attended a term, transferred, and attended the second

term at the transfer institution).6 In some cases, the term “persister” is used in the text for ease of

presentation. In all cases, this term refers to first-year persister.

First-Year Stopout

A beginning student who interrupted his or her enrollment in the first year with a break of

more than 4 months before reenrolling was considered a first-year stopout. This includes students

who finished their first year but did not enroll in a second year. The timing of reenrollment could

range from a period of just over 4 months to 4 years (i.e., to the 1994 follow-up survey). Stopouts

were further distinguished according to where they subsequently reenrolled. Those who reenrolled in the same institution are referred to as stopout returns, and those who transferred elsewhere are referred to as stopout transfers. It is possible for first-year stopouts subsequently to

have stopped out again. This analysis considers only the first stopout occurrence.

First-Year Stayout

A beginning student who left in the first year and did not return before the end of the last

follow-up in the spring of 1994 (i.e., did not return within 5 years) was considered a first-year

stayout. It is possible that some of these students are long-term stopouts and returned after the

date of the 1994 follow-up survey.

Departure Rates

The rates of first-year attrition reported in this study are the percentages of students who

left postsecondary education altogether before the beginning of their second year. These rates are,

by definition, less than institutional rates of attrition such as those compiled by the American

College Testing (ACT) Program. Institutional rates of attrition refer to students who leave an institution regardless of whether they leave postsecondary education. A student who leaves an institution and transfers without an enrollment break to another institution is considered a persister

in this study, but a leaver from an institutional perspective. For example, the 1990 first-year institutional attrition rate reported by ACT for all 4-year institutions is 26.7 percent (ACT Program

1990). The comparable institutional rate from BPS is 27.7 percent (BPS:89/94 DAS). The per-

 

6This definition differs slightly from that in another NCES publication using the BPS:89/94 data. In Berkner et al., students who

transferred downward (e.g., from a 4-year to a 2-year institution) even if they had no break in enrollment were not considered

persisters. Students who transferred down a level were grouped together with delayed transfers, who were identified as stopouts.

In Berkner et al., “stopouts” were those who stopped out and returned to the same institution.
Survey Data and Definition of Terms

5

centage of BPS first-year students who started in 4-year institutions but who left postsecondary

education before the beginning of their second year was 16 percent. Thus, roughly 11 percent of

students had transferred to another institution without an enrollment break either during the

1989–90 academic year or at the beginning of 1990–91.

7

Overview of First-Year Leavers

According to Tinto’s (1993) theory of departure, the primary roots of departure from higher

education can be identified as a student’s “intention” and “commitment.” Obviously, there are

many experiences in college that can affect students’ intentions and either strengthen or weaken

their resolve to finish. Students who withdraw early may be experiencing difficulty adjusting to

the challenges of college life. For instance, the work may be too difficult or their chosen field of

study unsuitable (what Tinto refers to as “incongruence” or “lack of fit”). Some students, especially those who come from families where no members have attended college, find the social

adjustment to college just too difficult. Still others, especially older students, are faced with obligations such as family and work responsibilities, which limit their time and ability to participate

fully in academic life.

Whatever the reason for early withdrawal, nearly 30 percent of 1989–90 beginning students

left postsecondary education in their first year (table 1). About half of those who left returned

some time before 1994 (stopped out), and the other half stayed out. A majority of both stopouts

and stayouts (63 percent) began in the public 2-year sector (table 2). In contrast, 21 percent of

stopouts and 13 percent of stayouts began in public 4-year colleges, while 8 percent of stopouts

and 4 percent of stayouts began in private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions. Students who left the

public 2-year sector were disproportionately represented relative to the total proportion of students enrolled in these institutions (44 percent). The opposite was true for students who left the

4-year sectors: 29 percent of undergraduates were enrolled in public institutions and 14 percent in

private, not-for-profit institutions.

The next two sections of the report detail the paths of students who stopped out from the 4-

year and public 2-year sectors. The findings are presented separately for these two sectors because the institutions serve very different student populations and have different missions.7 As

Cohen and Brawer point out in their book on American community colleges, public 2-year colleges “attract those who were not being served by traditional higher education: those who could

not afford the tuition; who could not take the time to attend a college on a full-time basis; . . .

who had inadequate preparation in the lower schools. . . .” (1989, 22). Thus, students enrolled in

public 2-year institutions are more likely than their counterparts at 4-year institutions to be nontraditional, to attend school on a part-time basis while they work full time, and to have shorter

 

7For a detailed analysis of beginning undergraduates enrolled in the public 2-year and 4-year sectors, see Kojaku and Nuñez

(forthcoming).
Overview of First-Year Leavers

8

term educational objectives. Students who attend public 2-year institutions also understand that

due to the open admissions policies of most institutions in this sector, they can leave and return

without penalty.

Table 1—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to their persistence or departure

Table 1—status in 1989–90, by first institution attended

Left in 1989–90

 Attained Persisted Stopped Stayed out

 certificate to 1990–91 Total out through 1994

 Total* 1.2 69.5 29.4 15.9 13.5 

Institution in 1989–90

 Public 2-year 2.1 55.5 42.4 21.5 21.0 

 All 4-year 0.2 83.9 15.9 10.1 5.8 

 Public 0.2 82.3 17.5 10.9 6.6 

 Private, not-for-profit 0.2 87.3 12.5 8.3 4.2 

*Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

NOTE: Details may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.

Table 2—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to first institution attended,

Table 2—by persistence or departure status in 1989–90

4-year

 Private, not- Public

Total Public for-profit 2-year Other1

 Total 42.2 28.5 13.7 43.7 14.1

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 50.4 33.3 17.1 35.8 13.8

 Stopped out 28.4 20.8 7.7 62.7 8.9

 Stayed out through 1994 16.7 12.8 3.9 62.6 20.7

1

Includes private, not-for-profit less-than-4-year; public less-than-2-year; and all for-profit institutions. 

2

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

NOTE: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
9

Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions

About 16 percent of first-year students at 4-year colleges and universities interrupted their

enrollment in their first year (figure 1). Among those who left, a majority (64 percent) returned

sometime before 1994, and 36 percent stayed out. Among those who returned, a higher proportion transferred to another institution (58 percent) than returned to the same institution (42 percent). And a majority (65 percent) of those who changed institutions transferred to the 2-year

sector.

An examination of students’ grades suggests that beginning students in the 4-year sector

who stopped out and subsequently transferred may have been experiencing academic difficulty

and changed their degree intentions. About 12 percent of stopout transfers had GPAs of 3.0 or

higher, compared with nearly one-third (31 percent) of those who returned to the same institution

(table 3). The cumulative GPA of stopout transfers was 2.00, compared with 2.39 for stopouts

who returned to the same institution. This pattern was very apparent in private, not-for-profit 4-

year institutions where the cumulative GPA for stopout transfers was 2.25, compared with 2.80

for stopout returns.

In addition to GPA differences, stopouts who transferred from the 4-year sector were much

more likely to have attempted more than one type of degree by 1994. Attempting more than one

degree indicates a change in students’ intentions. For example, they may have begun college

working toward a bachelor’s degree and subsequently changed programs and attempted an associate’s degree or vocational certificate. Nearly half (45 percent) of stopout transfers had done so

by 1994, compared with 7 percent of stopouts who returned to their original institution (table 4).

The fact that fewer than 10 percent of stopouts who returned to their original institution attempted more than one degree implies that most stayed in the 4-year sector for the remainder of

their enrollment.

Despite differences in GPA and degree intentions, if attainment is defined as earning some

postsecondary credential within 5 years, the attainment rates between stopouts who returned to

their institution of origin and those who transferred from the 4-year sector were similar, about

one-third attained some credential (figure 1). However, stopout transfers were more likely to earn

subbaccalaureate credentials, while those who returned to the same institution earned primarily

bachelor’s degrees.
Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions

10
Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions

11

Table 3—Among 1989–90 beginning students who stopped out in their first year, the percentage with a

Table 4—grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher and the average GPA, by stopout return status for

Table 4—those who left in 1989–90 and first institution attended

 Percent with a GPA Average

 of 3.0 or higher GPA

All stopouts

 Total* 26.5 2.28

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 29.2 2.36

 Transferred 23.8 2.20

All 4-year 

 Total 19.9 2.16

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 30.8 2.39

 Transferred 12.0 2.00

 Public 4-year

 Total 14.8 2.03

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 22.1 2.20

 Transferred 10.0 1.92

Private, not-for-profit 4-year 

 Total 33.8 2.52

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 49.6 2.80

 Transferred 18.5 2.25

Public 2-year

 Total 29.9 2.34

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 28.6 2.35

 Transferred 31.4 2.33

*Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions

12

Table 4—Among 1989–90 beginning students who stopped out in their first year, the percentage who

Table 4—attempted more than one degree and the average number of degrees attempted by 1994, by

Table 4—stopout return status for those who left in 1989–90 and first institution attended

 More than Average

one degree attempted number attempted

All stopouts

 Total* 36.8 1.4 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 18.1 1.2 

 Transferred 57.3 1.6 

All 4-year

 Total 29.1 1.3 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 7.2 1.1 

 Transferred 45.0 1.5 

Public 4-year

 Total 29.4 1.4 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 4.9 1.1 

 Transferred 46.6 1.6 

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 28.1 1.3 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 12.8 1.1 

 Transferred 40.4 1.4 

Public 2-year 

 Total 40.3 1.4 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 21.7 1.2 

 Transferred 64.8 1.7 

*Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions

13

The timing of reenrollment differed for stopouts from 4-year institutions who returned to

the same institution and those who transferred (table 5). Stopouts who reenrolled in the same institution returned earlier: more than half (57 percent) returned in their second year (1990–91)

compared with 40 percent of transfers. Despite their earlier return, however, stopouts who returned to the same institution were no less likely than those who transferred to be enrolled in

1994 (26 percent and 24 percent), and were equally likely to have subsequently left with no degree (42 percent and 43 percent) (figure 1). Thus, the persistence of the two groups was similar.

But as indicated earlier, stopout transfers were more likely to complete short-term programs—

associate’s degrees and vocational certificates—while stopout returns almost exclusively earned

bachelor’s degrees.

It should be noted that patterns for stopouts were quite different for those who enrolled in

the public 4-year sector relative to those who enrolled in the private, not-for-profit 4-year sector.

As shown in figure 2 and table 6, stopouts from private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions who

reenrolled in the same institution were much more likely to attain a bachelor’s degree within 5

years than their counterparts who returned to public 4-year institutions (58 percent versus 18 percent). While stopouts who returned to the public 4-year sector were more likely than their counterparts in private, not-for-profit institutions to be still enrolled in 1994 (31 percent versus 15

percent), they were much more likely to have left without any credential (49 percent versus 22

percent).

Within the 4-year sector, the outcomes of the two types of stopouts (returns versus transfers) in public institutions were opposite to the outcomes of their counterparts in private, not-forprofit institutions. Those enrolled in private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions who returned to the

same institution had higher attainment outcomes than those who transferred (63 percent versus

33 percent attained some credential). However, the opposite was true for stopouts in the public 4-

year sector: those who transferred were more likely to attain some credential, albeit a subbaccalaureate credential, than those who returned to the same institution (34 percent versus 20 percent).

Finally, the 1994 outcomes of the beginning students who persisted to their second year illustrate the importance of the first year with respect to eventual degree attainment and long-term

persistence (table 6). Among students who began in the 4-year sector and who persisted to their

second year, a majority (61 percent) had completed a bachelor’s degree by 1994 and an additional 15 percent were still enrolled. Fewer than one in five (17 percent) had subsequently left

without attaining a credential. In contrast, first-year stopouts were far less likely to have attained

any credential within 5 years, and they were only slightly more likely to be still enrolled in 1994

than first-year persisters.
Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions

14

Table 5—Among 1989–90 beginning students who stopped out in their first year, the percentage

Table 5—distribution according to the year they returned, by stopout return status for those who left

Table 5—in 1989–90 and first institution attended

 Academic year stopouts first returned

 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94

All stopouts

 Total* 35.7 44.0 12.0 8.3 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 47.8 41.5 6.7 4.0 

 Transferred 22.4 46.6 17.9 13.1 

All 4-year

 Total 46.7 36.2 10.7 6.4 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 56.5 35.6 5.5 2.5 

 Transferred 39.5 36.6 14.6 9.3 

Public 4-year

 Total 46.1 36.6 10.3 7.1 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 56.5 37.4 3.7 2.5 

 Transferred 38.7 36.1 14.9 10.3 

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 48.4 35.0 12.0 4.6 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 56.5 31.1 9.9 2.5 

 Transferred 41.9 38.2 13.6 6.3 

Public 2-year

 Total 30.8 47.5 12.6 9.2 

Stopout return status

 Returned to same institution 44.9 43.5 7.1 4.5 

 Transferred 11.9 52.8 20.0 15.4 

*Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

NOTE: Details may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions

15
Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions

16

Table 6—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to their highest degree attained

Table 6—or enrollment status in 1994, by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution

Table 6—attended

 Attained No degree, No degree,

 Associate’s Bachelor’s enrolled not enrolled

Total Certificate degree degree in 1994 in 1994

All beginning students

 Total1 48.3 8.0 11.0 29.4 14.9 36.7

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 60.5 6.9 13.3 40.2 16.5 23.0

 Stopout return 28.6 9.7 10.6 8.3 21.5 49.9

 Stopout transfer 42.6 30.5 9.0 3.1 20.2 37.2

All 4-year

 Total 60.3 2.9 4.2 53.3 15.2 24.4

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 67.8 2.6 3.9 61.3 15.1 17.1

 Stopout return 32.1 1.4 1.6 29.2 26.3 41.7

 Stopout transfer 34.0 11.7 14.0 8.3 23.5 42.5

Public 4-year

 Total 54.8 3.2 4.7 46.9 18.4 26.8

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 62.7 2.8 4.6 55.3 18.8 18.5

 Stopout return 19.7 0.0 1.8 17.9 30.9 49.4

 Stopout transfer 34.4 13.6 13.6 7.2 23.3 42.3

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 71.8 2.3 3.0 66.6 8.6 19.6

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 77.7 2.1 2.6 73.1 7.9 14.4

 Stopout return 63.1 4.8 0.9 57.5 14.7 22.2

 Stopout transfer 32.7 6.3 15.2 11.2 24.1 43.2

Public 2-year

 Total 36.7 12.9 17.5 6.3 14.7 48.6

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 50.3 13.1 26.5 10.7 18.4 31.3

 Stopout return 27.4 12.5 13.7 1.3 19.9 52.7

 Stopout transfer 47.9 42.0 5.9 0.0 18.1 34.0

1

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

2

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

NOTE: Details may not sum to 100 due to rounding. Note also that totals include stayouts which are not displayed in the table.

Therefore the total percentage may not be within the range of row subgroups. The zero percentages in the table round to less

than 0.01 percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Stopout Path From 4-Year Institutions

17

While there were also outcome differences for first-year persisters at public and private,

not-for-profit 4-year institutions, the overall persistence differences were relatively modest (table

6). For example, 19 percent of first-year persisters attending public 4-year institutions subsequently left without any credential, compared with 14 percent of their counterparts in private,

not-for-profit 4-year institutions. However, first-year persisters in private, not-for-profit institutions were more likely to have earned a bachelor’s degree within 5 years than those in public institutions (73 percent versus 55 percent). At the same time, 19 percent of those in public

institutions were still enrolled, compared with 8 percent in private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions, indicating that those in public institutions may have been taking longer to finish but were

still working toward the bachelor’s degree.

19

Stopout Path From Public 2-Year Institutions

As noted earlier, a majority (63 percent) of students who left postsecondary education in

their first year departed from the public 2-year sector (table 2). Within this sector, 42 percent left

in their first year (figure 3). Students who left public 2-year institutions were equally likely to

stay out as they were to return sometime before 1994. Among those who returned, about 57 percent reenrolled in the same institution and 43 percent transferred. Half of those who transferred

stayed at the 2-year level, and 37 percent transferred to a less-than-2-year institution. The remaining 13 percent transferred to the 4-year level.

Unlike the pattern in the 4-year sector where there were no obvious differences in persistence between stopouts who returned to the same institution and those who transferred, persistence rates did differ for the two stopout groups in public 2-year colleges. Stopouts who

transferred were much more likely to have attained some type of credential than those who returned to the same institution (48 percent versus 27 percent). However, those who transferred

earned primarily vocational certificates (42 percent earned a vocational certificate and 6 percent

earned an associate’s degree), while those who returned to the same institution were as likely to

earn associate’s degrees as they were to earn vocational certificates (14 percent and 13 percent,

respectively). Those who returned to the same institution were more likely to have left with no

credential (53 percent) than the stopouts who transferred (34 percent). Thus, stopouts who transferred from public 2-year colleges had higher overall persistence rates than those who returned to

the same institution, but they tended to earn short-term vocational credentials rather than associate’s degrees.

Among stopouts who transferred from public 2-year colleges, those who reenrolled in the

same institution returned earlier than stopouts who transferred (table 5): 45 percent reenrolled the

subsequent year (i.e., 1990–91), compared with 12 percent of transfers.

The frequency with which stopouts who transferred from public 2-year colleges earned vocational certificates suggests that many of these students may have initially enrolled with an associate’s degree goal and later determined that a specific vocational program would better suit

them. They subsequently enrolled in another institution—either at the 2-year or less-than-2-year

level—in order to pursue this objective. This is supported by the fact that 47 percent of stopout

transfers who reported having an associate’s degree objective in 1989–90 earned a vocational

certificate by 1994, compared with 11 percent of their counterparts who returned to the same institution (table 7).
Stopout Path From Public 2-Year Institutions

20
Stopout Path From Public 2-Year Institutions

21

Table 7—Among first-year stopouts from public 2-year institutions who had an associate’s degree (AA)

Table 7—objective in 1989–90, the percentage distribution according to degree attainment in 1994, by stopTable 7—out return status

 Attainment No degree, No degree,

 Associate’s Bachelor’s enrolled not enrolled

Certificate degree degree in 1994 in 1994

 Total 27.5 13.5 1.5 13.2 44.3

Stopouts with AA objective in 1989–90

 Returned to same institution 11.4 18.2 2.6 18.1 49.6

 Transferred 47.0 7.9 0.0 7.2 37.9

NOTE: Details may not sum to 100 due to rounding. The zero percentages in the table round to less than 0.01 percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.

When comparing the outcomes of first-year persisters with those who stopped out, stopout

transfers from public 2-year institutions and those who persisted to their second year had similar

persistence and attainment rates (figure 3 and table 6). About one-half of each group attained

some credential, and 18 percent were still enrolled. In contrast, first-year persisters in the 4-year

sector were far more likely than stopout transfers to attain a credential (68 percent versus 34 percent). In the public 2-year sector, those who persisted to their second year primarily earned associate’s degrees (27 percent) and bachelor’s degrees (11 percent), while those who transferred

earned vocational certificates (42 percent). In other words, while similar proportions of both firstyear persisters and first-year stopouts who transferred from the public 2-year sector may have

earned postsecondary credentials, stopout transfers were more likely than first-year persisters to

earn postsecondary credentials that require a shorter time to complete.

23

Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

This part of the analysis attempts to distinguish between students who return to school after

leaving their first year and those who stay out. In doing so, it asks the following question: Are

stopouts more or less likely than stayouts to have attributes associated with early departure? It

begins with a multivariate analysis examining factors related to early departure.

Controlling for Factors Related to Early Departure

When determining the association between student attributes—whether background characteristics or enrollment behavior—and early departure from postsecondary education, the interrelationship of variables related to persistence needs to be taken into account. For example,

students who attend school on a part-time basis are more likely than those who attend full time to

leave in their first year. However, there are other factors related to part-time attendance that may

affect persistence. Most notably is the likelihood of working full time while attending part time

(Horn and Berktold 1998). To control for the interrelationship of variables related to persistence,

this analysis used a regression model.8 The dependent variable is defined as the likelihood of

leaving school in the first year.9 The model included a number of independent variables that represent various aspects of students’ background and family characteristics as well as their firstyear college experiences. Two regressions were run: one for students leaving the 4-year sector,

and the other for those leaving the public 2-year sector. Independent variables included in the full

models are as follows (detailed definitions of all the variables can be found in the glossary in appendix A):

• Student background characteristics (gender, race–ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status

(SES), first generation to attend college);

• Nontraditional characteristics (delayed enrollment a year or more after high school,

worked full time, financially independent, had children);

• Student engagement and satisfaction with their academic program (full- or part-time

attendance, academic integration score, satisfaction index score);

• Student performance (GPA);

• Financial aid status (grant/loan combinations); and

 

8See appendix B for details of methods used.

9This is a dichotomous dependent variable indicating whether or not they left.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

24

• Institution control (public versus private, not-for-profit) for 4-year sector model only.

4-Year Sector

The results for the 4-year sector are displayed in table 8. Column one shows the percentages of students who left in their first year for each independent variable category.10 Column two

represents the corresponding percentages after being adjusted for the covariation of the independent variables included in the model (i.e., based on the regression equation). Asterisks indicate when a particular group differs significantly from the comparison group (shown in italics).

Several factors were significantly associated with early departure from a 4-year institution

after controlling for related variables. One significant factor in early departure was having a low

to failing cumulative GPA (under 2.0)—a group that would include academic dismissals—relative to students with higher grades. As shown in the table, before adjustment, 32 percent with

GPAs under 2.0 interrupted their enrollment, compared with 10 percent with higher GPAs. After

adjustment, the corresponding percentages were 33 percent and 11 percent. Students who had no

GPA reported—40 percent of whom left in their first year—would include those who did not attend long enough to complete a term and have grades reported.

A similar result was found for timing of first enrollment in postsecondary education after

graduating from high school. Whether it is due to lack of academic readiness to attend college,

having conflicting responsibilities, or simply not having the desire to attend immediately, delaying postsecondary enrollment by a year or more after high school is strongly associated with early

departure. In this analysis, 40 percent of such students departed early, compared with 13 percent

of immediate entrants. After adjustment, the estimates were still significantly different (33 percent versus 14 percent).

Consistent with Tinto’s (1993) theory of academic integration, students who were less able

to engage with their academic program were more likely to leave early, even when controlling for

other factors such as low GPAs. In this analysis, academic integration was based on a scale that

measured how involved students were with faculty and their peers.11 A low academic integration

index score (relative to a high one) contributed to early departure. Working full time while enrolled, which may hinder academic integration, was also associated with early departure, as

 

10Due to the strong intercorrelation of the student characteristics age and dependency status with the enrollment characteristics

delayed enrollment and part-time status, the age and dependency status variables were removed from the model.

11The academic index score is based on student responses with respect to how often (never, once, sometimes, often) they reported the following: meeting with faculty outside of class, meeting with an academic advisor, having informal or social contact

with faculty, participating in a student study group, using student assistant centers, and attending career-related lectures. The

response to each item was coded from 1–4 and the mean was taken. Students’ scores were then divided into quartiles representing low, medium (middle two quartiles), and high scores.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

25

Table 8—Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their enrollment from a 4-year 

Table 8—institution in their first year and the adjusted percentage after accounting for the covariation 

Table 8—of variables listed in the table

 Unadjusted Adjusted WLS Standard 

 percentage1 percentage2 coefficient3

error4

 Total 15.9 15.9 6.8 2.9 

Academic integration index score

 Low score 27.1* 21.6* 9.1 3.0 

 Moderate score 14.7 17.0* 4.5 2.0 

 High score 12.3 12.5 † †

Financial aid combination

 Grants, no loans 15.8 17.0 1.8 2.4 

 Loans 14.1 16.1 0.9 2.4 

 No aid 16.6 15.2 † †

Attendance status first enrolled

 Part time 34.7* 21.3 6.0 3.4 

 Full time 13.6 15.3 † †

Race–ethnicity

 Black, non-Hispanic 20.1 16.7 0.2 3.5 

 Hispanic 12.5 11.1 -5.4 4.4 

 Asian/Pacific Islander 7.3* 9.6 -6.9 4.4 

 American Indian/Alaskan Native — — -7.1 13.5 

 White, non-Hispanic 16.1 16.5 † †

Control of 4-year institution

 Private, not-for-profit 12.5* 15.4 -0.8 2.1 

 Public 17.5 16.1 † †

Timing of enrollment

 Delayed enrollment 39.7* 33.1* 19.4 3.1 

 No delay 12.8 13.6 † †

Cumulative GPA in 1989–90

 Under 2.0 31.6* 32.7* 21.4 2.4 

 2.0 or higher 10.0 11.3 † †

 Not reported 40.4* 39.4* 28.1 6.1 

Gender

 Female 15.7 16.5 1.3 1.8 

 Male 16.1 15.2 † †

Hours worked while enrolled

 Did not work 14.4* 15.8* -6.2 2.7 

 15 or fewer hours per week 9.4* 11.1* -10.8 2.8 

 16–34 hours per week 14.3* 14.4* -7.6 2.4 

 35 or more hours per week 24.8 22.0 † †
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

26

Table 8—Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their enrollment from a 4-year 

Table 8—institution in their first year and the adjusted percentage after accounting for the covariation 

Table 8—of variables listed in the table—Continued

 Unadjusted Adjusted WLS Standard 

 percentage1 percentage2 coefficient3

error4

Parents’ highest education

 High school or less 

 (First generation) 23.4* 19.1* 6.1 2.4 

 Some postsecondary education 17.4* 17.7* 4.7 2.4 

 Bachelor’s degree or higher 10.0 13.0 † †

Satisfaction index score

 Low 16.2 17.6 1.5 2.4 

 Moderate 12.5 14.6 -1.6 2.1 

 High 14.7 16.2 † †

Socioeconomic status

 Low quartile 29.8* 20.6 5.9 4.5 

 Middle quartiles 20.2* 17.0 2.2 2.2 

 High quartile 11.8 14.7 † †

—Sample too small for reliable estimate.

*p < .05.

†Not applicable for the reference group.

1

The estimates are from the BPS:90/94 Data Analysis System.

2

The percentages are adjusted for differences associated with other variables in the table (see appendix B).

3

Weighted least squares (WLS) coefficient, multiplied by 100 to reflect percentage (see appendix B).

4

Standard error of WLS coefficient, adjusted for design effect, multiplied by 100 to reflect percentage (see appendix B).

NOTE: The italicized group in each category is the reference group being compared.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.

compared with working less or not working at all. However, even when controlling for other

factors including academic integration, just over one-fifth of students who worked full time while

enrolled left school before their second year, compared with 11 to 14 percent who worked part

time and 16 percent who did not work.

Students whose parents were college graduates departed at lower rates than students whose

parents had less education. For example, before adjustment, 23 percent of first-generation college

students and 10 percent whose parents were college graduates left before the second year. After

adjustment, the difference was still significant (19 percent versus 13 percent). The relationship

between parents’ education and students’ early departure may be due to several factors. Firstgeneration college students and students whose parents have limited postsecondary education

may have a harder time adjusting to college life than their peers with college-educated parents.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

27

They may come from homes where college is not a high priority, especially if they need to work

and contribute to the economic well being of the family. They also have less opportunity to be

guided by their parents’ own college experiences.12 Thus, having parents with no postsecondary

education was a significant indicator of early departure, even after controlling for SES and academic integration.

A number of factors were significantly associated with early departure before adjusting for

related variables, but were not significant afterwards. This may occur when variables are indirectly associated with early departure by virtue of their association with other variables that directly affect the outcome. For example, before adjustment, students in the lowest SES quartile

were more likely than students in higher quartiles to leave school early. However, SES is associated with other variables in the model. For example, low-SES students are also more likely to

delay their enrollment in postsecondary education a year or more after high school graduation

and to have less-educated parents (i.e., high school or less).13 As discussed previously, both delayed enrollment and first-generation college status are associated with early departure. Therefore, once other factors including delayed enrollment and parents’ education were controlled for

in the model, being in the lowest SES quartile was no longer significantly associated with early

departure.

Similarly, attending a public 4-year college versus a private, not-for-profit institution and

attending part time versus full time were also associated with higher early departure rates before

but not after adjustment. Both of these attributes, however, are associated with academic integration index scores. That is, students in public 4-year institutions are more likely than those private,

not-for-profit 4-year institutions to have low academic integration scores. The same is true for

students enrolled part time relative to full time.14 Once other factors including academic integration were held constant, the departure rates for students in public institutions and students attending part time were no longer significantly different from their counterparts.

Public 2-Year Sector

The regression results based on students enrolled in the public 2-year sector are displayed

in table 9. One difference between this regression model and the model used for students in the

4-year sector is the inclusion of the nontraditional status variable instead of the individual com-

 

12For a detailed study of first-generation college students, see Nuñez and Cuccaro-Alamin (1998).

13BPS:89/90 DAS. For example, nearly half of low-SES students delayed their enrollment, compared with 16 percent of middleSES and 6 percent of high-SES students.

14For example, 15 percent of students enrolled in public 4-year institutions had low academic integration scores, compared with

8 percent in private, not-for-profit institutions. Similarly, 41 percent of part-time students had low scores, compared with 17 percent of full-time students (BPS:89/94 Data Analysis System).
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

28

ponent variables that make up nontraditional classification (delayed enrollment, part-time attendance, full-time employment while enrolled, financial independence, and having children).15 In a

model that included the individual components, none were significantly associated with early departure once all independent variables were held constant. However, when the nontraditional

status variable was included in the model in lieu of the individual components, students with two

or more of these characteristics (moderately to highly nontraditional) were more likely to leave

early than students with one or none of the characteristics (traditional or minimally nontraditional). This was true both before adjustment (55 versus 30 percent) and after adjustment (52 versus 33 percent).

As was true for the 4-year sector, students with GPAs under 2.0 were more likely to leave

early than students with higher grades as were students with a low academic integration score

compared relative to a high score. The only other attribute that remained a significant indicator of

early departure after holding other variables constant was having no degree objective relative to

having an associate’s degree objective. However, students with no specific degree intentions may

have fulfilled their educational objective while they were enrolled and their leaving may not necessarily indicate dropping out.

There were a number of variables associated with early departure from the public 2-year

sector before adjustment for related variables, such as age, SES, and first-generation status, but

these were no longer significant after adjustment. However, since all of these variables are associated with being nontraditional (Horn 1996), once other variables including nontraditional status

were held constant, these factors were no longer significant predictors of early departure. While

the proportion of students leaving before their second year with low academic integration scores

appears different from the proportion with high scores, even after adjustment, the estimates were

no longer statistically different. However, it should be noted that the sample of public 2-year

college students was small, and as shown in the table, the standard errors of the regression coefficients are relatively large.

Stopouts Versus Stayouts

The next step of the analysis explores how stopouts differed from stayouts with respect to

variables associated with early departure. It revealed a number of instances where differences occurred, and in some cases, the patterns were found at both the 2-year and 4-year levels.

 

15See glossary in appendix A for definition under entry “ATRS8990.”
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

29

Table 9—Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their enrollment from a public 2-year

Table 9—institution in their first year and the adjusted percentage after accounting for the covariation of 

Table 9—variables listed in the table

 Unadjusted Adjusted WLS Standard 

 percentage1 percentage2 coefficient3

error4

 Total 42.4 42.4 9.3 10.8 

Index of academic integration

 Low score 57.0* 51.5* 18.5 8.7 

 Moderate score 35.6* 39.3 6.3 8.2 

 High score 20.1 33.0 † & † 0

Age as of 12/31/89

 18 or younger 30.5 39.6 † & † 0

 19–23 50.9* 47.8 8.1 7.7 

 24–29 51.0* 41.0 1.4 13.0 

 30 or older 54.2* 39.4 -0.3 11.5 

Nontraditional status

 Traditional or minimally nontraditional 29.6 33.0 † & † 0

 Moderately to highly nontraditional 55.0* 51.7* 18.8 8.1 

Race–ethnicity

 Black, non-Hispanic 55.1 55.7 13.4 11.0 

 Hispanic 41.0 40.6 -1.7 9.8 

 Asian/Pacific Islander — — -20.9 16.3 

 American Indian/Alaskan Native — — -13.1 35.3 

 White, non-Hispanic 42.5 42.3 † & † 0

Degree objective

 No degree 66.0* 64.9* 24.3 12.0 

 Certificate 58.3* 56.4 15.8 9.4 

 Associate’s 39.1 40.6 † & † 0

 Bachelor’s or higher 27.3* 32.7 -7.9 7.4 

Cumulative GPA in 1989–90

 Not reported 56.3* 56.4 20.0 10.3 

 Under 2.0 53.7 60.2* 23.7 8.2 

 2.0 or higher 34.8 36.5 † & † 0

Gender

 Female 40.3 40.9 -3.0 6.1 

 Male 44.6 43.9 † & † 0

Parents’ education

 High school or less (first generation) 47.7* 46.7 10.5 8.4 

 Some postsecondary education 38.3 40.5 4.3 9.1 

 Bachelor’s degree or higher 32.9 36.2 † & † 0
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

30

Table 9—Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their enrollment from a public 2-year

Table 9—institution in their first year and the adjusted percentage after accounting for the covariation of 

Table 9—variables listed in the table—Continued

 Unadjusted Adjusted WLS Standard 

 percentage1 percentage2 coefficient3

error4

Satisfaction index score

 Low 35.1 41.7 1.8 9.0 

 Moderate 43.3 49.3 9.4 7.2 

 High 39.0 39.8 † & † 0

Socioeconomic status

 Low quartile 49.3* 38.4 -7.5 11.3 

 Middle quartiles 45.3* 41.8 -4.2 8.2 

 High quartile 33.4 46.0 † & † 0

—Sample too small for reliable estimate.

*p < .05.

†Not applicable for the reference group.

1

The estimates are from the BPS:90/94 Data Analysis System.

2

The percentages are adjusted for differences associated with other variables in the table (see appendix B).

3

Weighted least squares (WLS) coefficient, multiplied by 100 to reflect percentage (see appendix B).

4

Standard error of WLS coefficient, adjusted for design effect, multiplied by 100 to reflect percentage (see appendix B).

NOTE: The italicized group in each category is the reference group being compared.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.

Student Characteristics

Regardless of where undergraduates first enrolled, characteristics associated with nontraditional students distinguished those who stopped out from those who stayed out. Within the 4-year

sector, more than three-fourths (79 percent) of stopouts were either traditional or minimally nontraditional, compared with about half (52 percent) of stayouts (table 10a). Even though nontraditional students are concentrated in the public 2-year sector, stopouts within this sector were more

likely to be traditional than stayouts: about 42 percent were traditional or minimally nontraditional, compared with 27 percent of stayouts. Individual characteristics that distinguished

stopouts from stayouts regardless of institutional sector included age, marital status, being parents, and the prevalence of working full time while enrolled. Specifically, stayouts were more

likely than stopouts to be 30 or older, married, to have children living in their home, and to be

working full time while enrolled (tables 10a and 10b).

Students who stayed out after leaving were also more likely than stopouts to be the first

generation of their immediate family to attend college. For example, more than half (55 percent)

of students in 4-year institutions who stayed out had parents with no more than a high school
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

31

Table 10a—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their enrollment

Table 10a—in their first year, according to selected demographic characteristics, by departure status in 

Table 10a—1989–90 and first institution attended

All 4-year Public 2-year

Stopped out Stayed out Stopped out Stayed out

 Total1 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 

Nontraditional status

 Traditional or minimally nontraditional 79.1 52.3 42.0 27.4 

 Moderately nontraditional 15.0 27.8 31.9 35.1 

 Highly nontraditional 5.9 20.0 26.2 37.5 

First-generation college students

 (Parents’ highest education)

 High school or less 35.1 54.8 51.0 66.0 

 Some postsecondary education 28.2 27.6 21.4 18.7 

 Bachelor’s degree or higher 36.7 17.6 27.6 15.4 

Age

 18 or younger 64.4 40.3 38.7 24.3 

 19–23 30.3 35.5 42.7 36.6 

 24–29 2.9 9.0 8.5 13.3 

 30 or older 2.5 15.2 10.2 25.7 

Marital status

 Never married 94.5 75.8 82.0 55.2 

 Married 4.1 17.2 13.7 34.5 

 Divorced/separated/widowed 1.5 6.9 4.3 10.3 

Number of children

 No children 97.4 79.3 83.2 67.0 

 One or more children 2.7 20.7 16.8 33.0 

Percent worked full time while enrolled 32.8 46.6 41.7 54.9 

Average hours worked per week2 29.6 34.7 33.1 35.2 

1

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

2

Among those who worked.

NOTE: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding (sums vertically).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

32

Table 10b—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students in 4-year institutions who interrupted

Table 10b—their enrollment in their first year, according to selected demographic characteristics, by 

Table 10b—departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended

Public Private, not-for-profit

Stopped out Stayed out Stopped out Stayed out

 Total1 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 

Nontraditional status

 Traditional or

 minimally nontraditional 78.5 52.7 80.9 50.8 

 Moderately nontraditional 15.2 31.1 14.5 16.9 

 Highly nontraditional 6.4 16.2 4.6 32.3 

First-generation college students

 (Parents’ highest education)

 High school or less 37.9 53.2 27.4 60.0 

 Some postsecondary education 27.2 30.9 30.9 16.8 

 Bachelor’s degree or higher 34.9 15.9 41.7 23.2 

Age

 18 or younger 64.1 40.0 65.3 41.3 

 19–23 31.2 38.1 27.9 27.1 

 24–29 2.7 7.5 3.3 14.0 

 30 or older 2.0 14.5 3.6 17.7 

Marital status

 Never married 95.1 79.3 92.6 64.7 

 Married 3.4 15.3 5.9 23.6 

 Divorced/separated/widowed 1.5 5.4 1.5 11.8 

Number of children

 No children 97.7 81.8 96.3 71.1 

 One or more children 2.3 18.2 3.7 28.9 

Percent worked full time while enrolled 35.5 48.5 25.4 40.4 

Average hours worked per week2 30.5 35.7 27.0 31.3 

1

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

2

Among those who worked.

NOTE: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding (sums vertically).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

33

education, compared with just over a third (35 percent) who stopped out (table 10a). The same

pattern was found for students in the public 2-year sector: 51 percent of stopouts were firstgeneration college students, compared with 66 percent of stayouts.

Socioeconomic status was also associated with whether students from the 4-year sector

stopped out or stayed out, but this was not the case for students in the public 2-year sector (table

11a). About one in five (22 percent) students in the 4-year sector who stayed out were from the

lowest SES quartile, compared with 4 percent of stopouts. These differences were found for students at both public and private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions (table 11b). In the public 2-year

sector, on the other hand, 18 percent of stopouts and 25 percent of stayouts were from the lowest

SES quartile, a difference that is not statistically significant.

Racial–ethnic group differences were found between stopouts and stayouts for both students in the public 2-year sector and in the 4-year private, not-for-profit sector, but not for those

in the public 4-year sector (tables 11a and 11b). In public 2-year colleges and in private, not-forprofit 4-year colleges, stayouts were more likely than stopouts to be white. In community colleges, stayouts were less likely than stopouts to be Hispanic (6 percent versus 15 percent), while

in private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions, stayouts were less likely than stopouts to be black (4

percent versus 10 percent).

Educational Experiences of Students Who Left the 4-Year Sector

When examining academic experiences of first-year students, the results suggest that compared to those who stayed out, first-year stopouts from the 4-year sector were more integrated in

their academic program than stayouts (as measured by their enrollment intensity and level of

contact with faculty and other students), but there was some indication they were less satisfied

with the institution they were attending.

With respect to enrollment intensity, stopouts were more likely than stayouts to attend

school on a full-time basis (85 percent versus 68 percent) (table 12). While the cumulative GPAs

of stopouts and stayouts did not differ markedly (table 13), stopouts were more likely than stayouts to report “sometimes or often” contacting faculty members outside of class (52 percent versus 35 percent; table 14a). Similarly, stopouts were more likely to “sometimes or often” meet

with their advisor to discuss academic plans (62 percent versus 54 percent). More differences in

academic integration indicators were evident among students in private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions, where stopouts were more likely than stayouts to attend career-related lectures, have

contact with faculty outside of class, participate in study groups, and meet with their advisors.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

34

Table 11a—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students who interrupted their enrollment

Table 11a—in their first year, according to socioeconomic status and race–ethnicity, by departure status in 

Table 11a—1989–90 and first institution attended

All 4-year Public 2-year

Stopped out Stayed out Stopped out Stayed out

 Total* 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 

Socioeconomic status

 Low quartile 4.0 21.7 18.1 25.3 

 Middle quartiles 45.4 49.4 54.1 54.9 

 High quartile 50.6 28.9 27.8 19.8 

Race–ethnicity

 White, non-Hispanic 84.5 83.6 68.8 83.7 

 Black, non-Hispanic 9.6 10.4 14.1 7.8 

 Hispanic 3.8 3.1 15.1 6.4 

 Asian/Pacific Islander 2.0 2.2 1.3 1.6 

 American Indian/Alaskan Native 0.0 0.7 0.7 0.5 

*Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

NOTE: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding (sums vertically). The zero percentages in the table round to less than 0.01

percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.

Table 11b—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students in 4-year institutions who interrupted

Table 11b—their enrollment in their first year, according to socioeconomic status and race–ethnicity, by 

Table 11b—departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended

Public Private, not-for-profit

Stopped out Stayed out Stopped out Stayed out

 Total* 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 

Socioeconomic status

 Lowest quartile 3.2 20.5 6.3 25.7 

 Middle quartiles 47.9 52.5 38.7 39.1 

 High quartile 48.9 27.0 55.0 35.3 

Race–ethnicity

 White, non-Hispanic 86.7 81.5 78.6 90.3 

 Black, non-Hispanic 9.4 12.4 10.2 3.9 

 Hispanic 3.3 2.3 5.4 5.9 

 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.6 2.9 5.9 0.0 

 American Indian/Alaskan Native 0.0 0.9 0.0 0.0 

*Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

NOTE: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding (sums vertically). The zero percentages in the table round to less than 0.01

percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

35

Table 12—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to attendance intensity,

Table 10—by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended

Full-time Part-time

All beginning students

 Total1 70.4 29.6

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 79.9 20.1

 Stopout 48.9 51.1

 Stayout 51.9 48.1

All 4-year

 Total 90.6 9.4

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 92.7 7.3

 Stopout 85.3 14.7

 Stayout 67.5 32.5

Public 4-year

 Total 88.9 11.1

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 91.1 8.9

 Stopout 83.4 16.6

 Stayout 69.0 31.0

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 94.2 5.8

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 96.0 4.0

 Stopout 90.3 9.7

 Stayout 62.8 37.2

Public 2-year

 Total 48.5 51.5

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 59.4 40.6

 Stopout 29.0 71.0

 Stayout 37.9 62.1

1

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

2

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

NOTE: Details may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

36

Table 13—Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students with a first-year grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or

Table 13—higher and the average GPA, by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution

Table 13—attended

 Percent with a GPA Average

of 3.0 or higher GPA

All beginning students

 Total1 37.7 2.62

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 40.5 2.71

 Stopout 27.5 2.30

 Stayout 34.7 2.53

All 4-year 

 Total 37.2 2.64

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 39.8 2.72

 Stopout 19.9 2.16

 Stayout 26.8 2.16

 Public 4-year

 Total 34.1 2.57

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 36.9 2.66

 Stopout 14.8 2.03

 Stayout 26.6 2.11

Private, not-for-profit 4-year 

 Total 44.1 2.80

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 45.7 2.84

 Stopout 33.8 2.52

 Stayout 27.3 2.35

Public 2-year

 Total 38.2 2.60

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 41.5 2.70

 Stopout 29.9 2.34

 Stayout 36.9 2.53

1

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

2

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

37

Table 14a—Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students who reported “sometimes or often” participating in

Table 12a—various academic activities, by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution

Table 12a—attended

Attended Had contact Used In study Met advisor Talked about

career- with faculty student groups concerning academic

 related outside assistance with other academic matters

lectures of class centers students plans with faculty

All beginning students

 Total1 33.3 44.4 18.1 58.3 57.2 66.7

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 36.8 47.4 20.9 64.6 62.6 72.7

 Stopout 25.4 41.7 13.0 47.6 51.3 63.4

 Stayout 23.6 32.3 9.7 38.3 38.3 39.1

All 4-year

 Total 40.1 52.0 23.7 70.6 67.5 75.2

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 40.9 53.3 24.8 72.9 69.1 77.5

 Stopout 38.9 51.5 19.7 63.4 62.2 69.4

 Stayout 31.1 34.9 15.9 51.3 53.5 52.5

Public 4-year

 Total 35.5 46.3 21.2 67.9 63.7 72.5

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 36.0 47.1 21.9 69.9 65.2 75.0

 Stopout 35.3 48.2 17.9 62.8 59.4 65.7

 Stayout 30.0 33.2 17.0 51.7 52.2 51.9

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 49.6 63.9 29.1 76.3 75.3 81.0

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 50.4 65.4 30.3 78.7 76.7 82.4

 Stopout 48.7 60.5 24.6 65.0 69.9 79.2

 Stayout 34.5 40.3 12.2 50.2 58.0 54.1

Public 2-year

 Total 26.6 37.1 12.7 46.4 47.2 58.5

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 31.1 39.0 15.3 52.8 53.4 66.0

 Stopout 19.2 37.1 9.9 40.2 46.3 60.7

 Stayout 21.5 31.6 8.1 34.8 30.9 35.6

1

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

2

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

38

Table 14b displays the distribution of students relative to their academic integration index

scores, a measure based on all the integration items displayed in table 14a. Stayouts were much

more likely than stopouts to have a low index score when both 4-year public and private, not-forprofit sectors are considered (30 percent versus 17 percent). However, only in the private, notfor-profit sector is the difference between the proportions with low scores for stopouts and stayouts statistically significant (12 percent versus 34 percent). In the private, not-for-profit 4-year

sector, stopouts were also more likely than stayouts to avail themselves of academic counseling

services (79 percent versus 63 percent) (table 15). Thus, it appears that differences in academic

engagement between stopouts and stayouts are more apparent for students in private, not-forprofit institutions than for those in public 4-year institutions. This result may be related to the

findings discussed earlier showing that stopouts who returned to private, not-for-profit institutions were more likely to attain bachelor’s degrees than those who returned to public institutions

(see figure 3). Perhaps their early engagement with the institution played a role in the ability of

students attending private, not-for-profit institutions to complete a degree. Alternatively, students

who begin in a private, not-for-profit institution may be more sure of their educational path than

those who start in public institutions.

Though stopouts from the 4-year sector appeared more integrated in their academic program, they were less likely than stayouts to report being highly satisfied with their institution (table 16). About 40 percent of stopouts had a high satisfaction index score, compared with roughly

half (56 percent) of stayouts. This finding held for students in public 4-year institutions (42 versus 60 percent), but was not significant for students in private, not-for-profit institutions (34 percent and 42 percent).

Stopouts and stayouts in the 4-year sector also differed in how they financed their education

program (table 17). Stayouts were more likely to receive aid (reflecting their lower SES relative

to stopouts), but among those who received aid, stopouts were more likely to borrow (53 percent

versus 38 percent).16 Willingness to borrow to pay for one’s education may reflect a greater confidence in one’s ability to finish school and pay back the loan. On the other hand, students who

borrowed may simply have been more motivated to return to school in order to defer paying the

loan.

 

16This result was found only for the aggregated 4-year sector; both public and private, not-for-profit institutions had small sample sizes and large standard errors and when broken out, neither contrast was significant.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

39

Table 14b—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to their academic integration

Table 14b—index score,1

 by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended

Low score Moderate score High score

All beginning students

 Total2 24.4 46.8 28.9

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 17.5 48.8 33.7

 Stopout 31.6 49.3 19.1

 Stayout 51.9 33.0 15.2

All 4-year

 Total 12.9 48.6 38.5

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 11.1 48.3 40.6

 Stopout 17.4 51.4 31.2

 Stayout 29.5 48.6 22.0

Public 4-year

 Total 15.1 51.0 33.9

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 13.4 50.8 35.8

 Stopout 19.5 51.9 28.6

 Stayout 28.1 52.2 19.8

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 8.2 43.7 48.1

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 6.7 43.4 49.9

 Stopout 11.7 50.0 38.3

 Stayout 34.0 37.0 29.1

Public 2-year

 Total 35.6 44.9 19.5

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 26.5 49.6 23.9

 Stopout 38.3 48.4 13.4

 Stayout 57.9 28.8 13.4

1

The academic integration index score is based on student responses with respect to how often (never, once, sometimes, often)

they reported the following: meeting with faculty outside of class, meeting with an academic advisor, having informal or social

contact with faculty, participating in a student study group, using student assistance centers, and attending career-related lectures.

The response to each item was coded from 1–4 and the mean was taken. Students’ scores were then divided into quartiles

representing low, moderate (middle two quartiles), and high scores.

2

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

3

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

NOTE: Details may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

40

Table 15—Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students according to their use of counseling and job placement

Table 15—services at the first institution, by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution

Table 15—attended

Academic Financial aid Job Personal Job

counseling counseling counseling counseling placement

 

All beginning students

 Total1 71.5 48.7 50.1 39.8 32.1

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 77.7 51.6 54.5 41.0 35.2

 Stopout 63.0 41.4 43.0 41.2 25.3

 Stayout 42.7 39.8 30.6 30.0 21.0

All 4-year

 Total 79.8 57.3 54.3 41.7 35.9

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 81.7 56.9 55.0 40.9 36.5

 Stopout 70.9 56.4 50.2 44.4 30.9

 Stayout 61.6 66.3 49.4 52.1 34.9

Public 4-year

 Total 79.6 52.5 51.1 38.8 33.5

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 82.2 51.9 51.2 37.4 34.0

 Stopout 67.9 51.5 49.4 43.7 28.5

 Stayout 61.1 65.1 51.5 51.9 35.0

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 80.1 67.2 61.1 47.9 41.1

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 80.8 66.9 62.6 47.8 41.6

 Stopout 79.0 70.3 52.4 46.4 37.9

 Stayout 63.2 70.2 43.1 52.5 34.3

Public 2-year

 Total 63.5 40.3 45.9 37.8 28.2

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 72.2 44.4 53.8 41.1 33.3

 Stopout 59.8 35.1 40.0 39.8 22.9

 Stayout 37.8 32.8 25.4 24.1 17.1

1

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

2

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

41

Table 16—Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according to their overall satisfaction with 

Table 16—their first institution, by persistence or departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended

 Satisfaction with first institution1

Low Moderate High

All beginning students

 Total2 16.9 30.1 53.0

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 17.7 30.9 51.5

 Stopout 17.0 31.3 51.8

 Stayout 11.7 23.8 64.5

All 4-year

 Total 20.6 35.8 43.6

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 20.1 36.5 43.3

 Stopout 25.3 34.9 39.8

 Stayout 19.8 24.7 55.6

Public 4-year

 Total 18.7 32.1 49.2

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 17.9 32.6 49.5

 Stopout 24.9 33.1 42.1

 Stayout 19.1 21.1 59.8

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 24.6 43.6 31.8

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 24.6 44.2 31.3

 Stopout 26.4 39.9 33.7

 Stayout 21.8 35.8 42.4

Public 2-year

 Total 13.3 24.6 62.1

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted3 14.3 23.1 62.6

 Stopout 13.5 29.8 56.8

 Stayout 9.7 23.5 66.9

1

Based on the number of aspects that undergraduates reported being satisfied with related to students’ institutions. Items

included price of attendance, intellectual growth, prestige of institution, social life, and teaching ability of faculty. A low score

corresponded to satisfaction with 1–3 aspects, moderate score with 4 aspects, and a high satisfaction score corresponded with

being satisfied with all 5 aspects.

2

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

3

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

NOTE: Details may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

42

Table 17—Percentage of 1989–90 beginning students according to financial aid status, by persistence or

Table 17—departure status in 1989–90 and first institution attended

 Received any If received aid

 financial aid Grant aid Loan aid

All beginning students

 Total1 41.7 85.4 37.3 

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 46.1 85.7 39.6 

 Stopout 29.5 83.4 34.3 

 Stayout 33.4 85.6 23.6 

All 4-year

 Total 56.2 84.2 47.8 

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 56.6 84.8 48.0 

 Stopout 49.8 78.4 52.9 

 Stayout 62.1 84.3 38.4 

Public 4-year

 Total 48.5 78.8 42.3 

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 48.6 79.0 42.3 

 Stopout 40.5 73.6 49.3 

 Stayout 60.3 82.5 34.0 

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 72.3 91.7 55.5 

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 72.2 92.5 55.5 

 Stopout 75.2 85.4 58.3 

 Stayout 68.1 89.4 51.0 

Public 2-year

 Total 27.8 87.7 16.7 

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 31.4 87.8 18.3 

 Stopout 20.2 89.0 13.5 

 Stayout 25.7 86.4 14.1 

1

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

2

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Who Stops Out and Who Stays Out?

43

Educational Experiences of Students Who Left the Public 2-Year Sector

Due partly to the large standard errors for public 2-year college stopouts, it was more difficult to distinguish between first-year stopouts and stayouts in this sector. Stopouts were no more

likely than stayouts to attend full time (table 12), and while it appears that stayouts may have had

somewhat higher GPAs (2.53 versus 2.34), there is not enough statistical evidence to conclude

they were different (table 13). Stopouts were more likely than stayouts to “sometimes or often”

talk to faculty about academic matters (61 percent versus 36 percent; table 14a); they also tended

to use personal and job counseling services more often than stayouts (table 15). However, the

two groups did not differ from one another with respect to other academic integration items.

Looking at the overall academic integration index score (table 14b), stopouts were less likely

than stayouts to have a low score (38 percent versus 58 percent).

While differences between stopouts and stayouts in the public 2-year sector were not as apparent as those found in the 4-year sector, students enrolled in public 2-year colleges may have

more varied education goals. Public 2-year colleges serve students whose intentions range from

taking a course or two for their own personal development, to taking a series of courses to obtain

occupational skills, to earning an associate’s degree for the purpose of transferring to a 4-year

institution and attaining a bachelor’s degree. Thus, not all students at the 2-year level intend to

earn a degree, and one might expect students who leave without returning to be more likely than

stopouts to have no degree intentions. While stayouts appeared to be more likely than stopouts to

report having no degree objective (33 percent versus 21 percent), there was not enough statistical

evidence to conclude that the two groups differed in their intentions.17 Nevertheless, even if there

were a measurable difference, two-thirds of students who left the public 2-year sector and did not

return within 5 years reported having a certificate or degree goal, indicating a substantial rate of

attrition for these students.

 

17BPS:89/94 Data Analysis System.

45

Summary and Conclusions

Nearly 30 percent of students who first enrolled in college in 1989–90 left before the beginning of their second year. Half or more (depending upon institutional sector) of those who departed reenrolled within 5 years (stopouts). Students who began in the public 2-year sector were

much more likely to leave in their first year than those who began in the 4-year sector. Of those

who left, students who began in public 2-year institutions were less likely to return than those

who began in 4-year institutions.

Stopouts either returned to the same institution (stopout returns) or they transferred elsewhere (stopout transfers). At least half of stopout transfers, whether from the 4-year or public 2-

year sector, transferred to the 2-year sector. Among those who transferred from the 4-year sector,

about one-quarter earned subbaccalaureate credentials, and 8 percent attained bachelor’s degrees.

And among stopouts who transferred from the public 2-year sector (with associate’s degree intentions),18 a little under one-half earned vocational certificates, and 8 percent earned associate’s

degrees.

Among stopouts who began in the 4-year sector, the subsequent persistence of stopout returns was similar to stopout transfers. That is, similar proportions of the two groups attained

some postsecondary credential within 5 years, and similar proportions subsequently left with no

degree. However, stopout transfers tended to earn credentials that take a shorter amount of time

to complete—vocational certificates and associate’s degrees—while stopout returns were likely

to earn bachelor’s degrees.

Students who stopped out from private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions and returned to the

same institution were much more likely to attain bachelor’s degrees within 5 years and were

much less likely to have subsequently left with no degree than their counterparts in the public 4-

year sector. This result can be interpreted in two ways. Either the private, not-for-profit 4-year

sector have more resources to retain stopouts who return, or stopouts who attend private, not-forprofit colleges have stronger degree intentions than their counterparts enrolled in public institutions.

 

18Associate’s degree intentions were distinguished because unlike students in the 4-year sector those in the public 2-year sector

may have goals other than attaining a degree.
Summary and Conclusions

46

In the 4-year sector, students who persisted to their second year were very likely to earn a

degree: about 61 percent attained a bachelor’s degree by 1994, and an additional 15 percent were

still enrolled. First-year persisters from public and private, not-for-profit institutions differed

slightly with respect to 5-year persistence: about 19 percent of those who attended public 4-year

colleges left with no degree, compared with 14 percent of those from private, not-for-profit institutions. However, first-year persisters from the public 4-year sector were less likely than their

counterparts in the private, not-for-profit sector to have attained a bachelor’s degree and were

more likely to be still enrolled after 5 years.

Unlike the 4-year sector, first-year persisters in the public 2-year sector had similar longterm persistence and attainment rates as stopouts who transferred from the same sector (about

half had attained a credential and nearly one in five were still enrolled). However, stopout transfers earned primarily vocational certificates, while persisters earned primarily associate’s degrees. Stopouts who returned to the same institution appeared to fare the worst in terms of

persistence and attainment—less than one-third attained a credential, and about half left without

a degree. It is possible that the outcome differences between stopout transfers and stopout returns

in the public 2-year sector signal stronger intentions on behalf of the transfers. That is, students

who began with an associate’s degree objective but subsequently obtained a vocational certificate

may have found a program of study that was more suitable or attainable. Indeed, nearly half of

the transfers earned a vocational certificate. In contrast, those who left and returned to the same

institution may have faced the same challenges that interfered with their initial enrollment. Consequently, fewer (just over one-quarter) of these students earned a credential than did stopout

transfers. Alternatively, students who leave and then return to the same public 2-year sector may

be less likely to have explicit degree intentions. Although there was some suggestion of this in

the results, the sample was small and the difference was not statistically significant.

While the persistence and attainment rates of students who began in the public 2-year sector were relatively low compared with those in the 4-year sector, it should be noted that at least

half of all stopouts who transferred did so to the 2-year sector. This was true whether they transferred from 4-year or public 2-year institutions. Moreover, about half of those who transferred to

the 2-year sector earned a subbaccalaureate credential (primarily vocational certificates). Thus,

the 2-year sector provided these students with a “second chance” and gave them the opportunity

to complete shorter term credentials.

Regardless of where beginning students first enrolled, those who did not return after leaving were more likely to be nontraditional—i.e., older, more often married with children, and

more likely to work full time while enrolled—than those who did return. Stayouts were also

more likely than stopouts to be in the first generation of their immediate family to attend college.
Summary and Conclusions

47

In the 4-year sector (but not in the public 2-year sector), stayouts were also more likely than

stopouts to be in the lowest socioeconomic status quartile. This was found both for 4-year public

and private, not-for-profit institutions.

Relative to stayouts, stopouts from the 4-year sector were more academically integrated and

were more likely to attend full time, but may have been less satisfied with their institution. Stayouts, on the other hand, appeared to have greater family obligations and other nonschool responsibilities that may have conflicted with their schooling. The differences in educational

experiences between stopouts and stayouts from the public 2-year sector were less evident, but

like those in the 4-year sector, stayouts were more nontraditional than stopouts and also appeared

to be less academically integrated.19

Taken together, the results indicate that among students first starting college, those who

leave school in the first year and do not return within 5 years (stayouts) have more external obligations such as children and full-time employment than their peers who reenroll (stopouts).

These commitments may interfere with a student’s ability to integrate fully into an academic program, which in turn is associated with early departure. Stopouts, on the other hand, may have had

difficulty adjusting in their first year, but were less encumbered by external commitments. Having fewer external constraints may have allowed them more time to become academically integrated and thus may have contributed to their eventual return. Finally, it should be remembered

that the BPS survey extended over a 5-year period. It is possible that students who left in their

first year and did not return within the survey time frame may have returned later.

 

19In the near future, it will be possible to explore the intentions of students enrolled in subbaccalaureate institutions in more

depth using data from the First Follow-up of a new BPS cohort, made up of students who first began their postsecondary education in the academic year 1995–96. This survey specifically asked students enrolled in 2-year or less-than-2-year institutions the

primary reason they were enrolled. Possible responses included job skills (nondegree program); degree or certificate; transfer to a

4-year school; or personal enrichment. This survey will help better distinguish the various reasons students attend subbaccalaureate institutions, which will make it possible to identify more accurately students who are stopouts, dropouts, or those who have

fulfilled their educational goals short of earning a credential.

49

Bibliography

Berkner, L., Cuccaro-Alamin, S., and McCormick, A. 1996. Descriptive Summary of 1989–90

Beginning Postsecondary Students: 5 Years Later (NCES 96-155). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Bonham, L.A., and Luckie, J.A. 1993. “Taking a Break in Schooling: Why Community College

Students Stop Out.” Community College Journal of Research and Practice 17 (3): 257.

Bradley, A.P., Jr. et al. 1975. Attrition at a Nontraditional Institution. Saratoga Springs, NY:

State University of New York, Empire State College (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.

ED112739).

Cohen, A. and Brawer, F. 1989. The American Community College, 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

Feldman, M.J. 1993. “Factors Associated with One-Year Retention in a Community College.”

Research in Higher Education 34 (4): 503.

Horn, L. 1996. Nontraditional Undergraduates (NCES 97-578). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Horn, L. and Berktold, J. 1998. A Profile of 1995–96 Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Institutions, with an Essay on Undergraduates Who Work (NCES 98-084). Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Kent State University, Trumbull Campus. 1993. Why Students Don’t Return: An Investigation of

Reasons Why Students Choose Not to Come Back to College. Survey Results, Conclusions, and

Implications. Kent, OH: Kent State University (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.

ED388324).

Kojaku, L. and Nuñez, A.M. Forthcoming. Profile of 1995–96 Beginning Postsecondary Students. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Lee, M.M. 1996. Student Retention Survey: Why Students Did Not Return, Spring Semester 1994.

Valhalla, NY: Westchester Community College, Office of Institutional Research (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED391565).
Bibliography

50

Mohammadi, J. 1994. Exploring Retention and Attrition in a Two-Year Public Community College. Martinsville, VA: Patrick Henry Community College (ERIC Document Reproduction

Service No. ED382257).

Moore, N. 1995. Persistence and Attrition at San Juan College. Farmington, NM: San Juan

College, Office of Institutional Research, Grant Development, and Planning (ERIC Document

Reproduction Service No. ED380159).

Nuñez, A.M. and Cuccaro-Alamin, S. 1998. First-Generation Students: Undergraduates Whose

Parents Never Enrolled in Postsecondary Education (NCES 98-082). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Ogletree, E. 1992. Analysis of the Non-Retention of CUU First-Year Students. Chicago, IL: Chicago Urban University (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED352866).

Sydow, D.L. et al. 1996. Making Student Retention an Institutional Priority. Big Stone Gap, VA:

Mountain Empire Community College (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED402961).

Tinto, V. 1993. Leaving College, 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

University of Maryland, College Park. 1987. Students Who Become Nonpersisters: Who, When,

Why, and To Do What? The Astin Index: One Approach to Predicting Persistence at UMCP

Four Years after Initial Enrollment. Maryland Longitudinal Study Research Highlights. Research Reports 5 and 9. College Park, MD: University of Maryland, Maryland Longitudinal

Study Steering Committee (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED301103).

White, J.H. 1971. Individual and Environmental Factors Associated with Freshman Attrition at

a Multi-Campus Community College. Ann Arbor, MI: George Washington University (ERIC

Document Reproduction Service No. ED063919).
51

Appendix A—Glossary

This glossary describes the variables used in this report. The items were taken directly from the NCES BPS:90/94

Data Analysis System (DAS), an NCES software application that generates tables from the BPS:90/94 data (see appendix B for a description of the DAS). The variables listed in the index below are organized by sections in the order

they appear in the report; the glossary is in alphabetical order by variable name (displayed along the right-hand column). Some items were reported by the student only during the Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI).

Variables based only on CATI respondents are identified.

Glossary Index

OVERVIEW

Persistence in 1989–90 ..............................STOP8990

Institution in 1989–90............................... OFCO8990

STOPOUTS

Grade point average.............................................GPA

Number of degrees attempted .................... NUMDEG

Academic year stopouts returned ............STOPBACK

First transfer institution........................... TRANSLVL

Attainment and enrollment status

 as of 1994............................................. ATTENRST

Associate’s degree objective.....................GOAL8990

STOPOUTS VERSUS STAYOUTS

Nontraditional status ..................................ATRS8990

First-generation college student

 (parents’ highest education) ...................... RPARED

Gender ...................................................... H_GENDR

Age.......................................................................AGE

Marital status .............................................MAR8990

Number of children.................................... KIDS8990

Worked while enrolled.................................HRS8990

Socioeconomic status..................................SESPERC

Race–ethnicity ........................................... BPSRACE

Attendance intensity.....................................ATTEND

Timing of enrollment ............................. DELAYENR

INTEGRATION VARIABLES

Attended career-related lectures..............ATLECTUR

Had contact with faculty outside

 of class ...................................................CONTACT

Used student assistance centers.................. CENTERS

In study groups with other students.........STUDYGRP

Met advisor concerning academic

 plans..................................................... TALKADVI

Talked about academic matters with

 faculty .....................................................TALKFAC

Academic integration index ......................ACAD8990

USE OF COUNSELING SERVICES VARIABLES

Academic counseling ..............................SATNACNS

Financial aid counseling.......................... SATNFCNS

Job counseling ......................................... SATNJCNS

Personal counseling ................................ SATNPCNS

Job placement .............................................SATJOBP

Satisfaction with first institution ...............SATISFYN

FINANCIAL AID VARIABLES

Received financial aid...................................AID8990

Received grant aid .......................................TOTGRT

Received loan aid......................................TOTLOAN

Financial aid combination.......................... AIDP8990
Appendix A—Glossary

52

Age AGE

Indicates student’s age as of 12/31/89.

18 or younger

19–23

24–29

30 or older

Academic integration index ACAD8990

Average academic integration score at the 1989–90 postsecondary institution. Students were asked in student CATI

to report how often they did each of the following during the 1989–90 term: attend career-related lectures

(ATLECTUR), participate in study groups with other students (STUDYGRP), talk over academic matters with

faculty (TALKFAC), and meet with advisor concerning academic plans (TALKADVI). Scores include never (1),

once (2), sometimes (3), and often (4). A mean of the score of the four variables was calculated to compose the

academic integration score. Then the scores were classified into low, moderate, and high as described below:

Low Student had a mean score of 2 or less.

Moderate Student had a mean score of 2.1 to 2.9.

High Student had a mean score of 3.0 to 4.

Received financial aid AID8990

Indicates whether student received any financial aid in 1989–90. It was aggregated to the following categories:

No aid

Received aid

Financial aid combination AIDP8990

Indicates the combinations of grants, loans and other aid received at the 1989–90 postsecondary institution.

Grants, no loans

Loans

No aid

Attended career-related lectures ATLECTUR

First-time freshmen’s response to the following question: “How often did you do each of the following during the

[sample term]?” Possible responses were never, once, sometimes, and often. Asked on student CATI.
Appendix A—Glossary

53

a. Talked with faculty about academic matters outside of class time? [TALKFAC]

b. Met with your advisor concerning your academic plans? [TALKADVI]

c. Had informal or social contacts with your advisor or other faculty members outside of classrooms/offices?

[CONTACT]

d. Participated in study groups with other students outside of the classroom? [STUDYGRP]

f. Participated in one or more student assistance centers or programs (e.g., counseling programs, learning

skills center, minority student services, health services)? [CENTERS]

h. Attended career-related lectures, conventions, or field trips with friends? [ATLECTUR]

Nontraditional status ATRS8990

Based on an index of nontraditional characteristics from 0–7 composed of 7 characteristics known to be adversely

related to persistence and attainment. Characteristics include delayed enrollment, no high school diploma (including

GED recipients), part-time enrollment, financial independence, having dependents other than spouse, single parent

status, and working full time while enrolled.

Traditional or minimally nontraditional Student had 1 risk factor or none.

Moderately nontraditional Student had 2 or 3 risk factors.

Highly nontraditional Student had 4 or more risk factors.

Attendance intensity ATTEND

Indicates the full-time/part-time attendance status for beginning term only. In most cases, it was the fall 1989. Other

possible terms were determined in the months of August 1989, February 1990, and June 1990.

Attainment and enrollment status as of 1994 ATTENRST

Degree attainment and enrollment status as of the 1994 follow-up interview. Combines highest degree, enrollment

status at follow-up, and for enrolled students, level of the institution where enrolled. The variable was aggregated as

follows:

Certificate

Associate’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

No degree, enrolled in 1994

No degree, not enrolled in 1994

Race–ethnicity BPSRACE

White, non-Hispanic A person having origins in any of the original peoples of

Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin).

Black, non-Hispanic A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of

Africa, who is not of Hispanic origin.
Appendix A—Glossary

54

Hispanic A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South

American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of

race.

Asian/Pacific Islander A person having origins in any of the peoples of the Far East,

Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or Pacific Islands.

This includes people from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine

Islands, Samoa, India, and Vietnam.

American Indian/Alaskan Native A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North

America and who maintains cultural identification through

tribal affiliation or community recognition.

Used student assistance centers CENTERS

Indicates if student participated in one or more student assistance centers or programs (e.g., counseling programs).

For a complete description, see ATLECTUR. Asked on student CATI.

Had contact with faculty outside of class CONTACT

Indicates if student had informal or social contacts with advisor or other faculty members outside of classrooms/offices. For a complete description, see ATLECTUR. Asked on student CATI.

Timing of enrollment DELAYENR

Indicates whether student delayed entry into postsecondary education after high school.

Delayed

No delay

Gender H_GENDR

Student response to the question “Are you male or female?”

Male

Female

Grade point average GPA

Cumulative grade point average for 1989–90. Most recent GPA was used if the cumulative GPA was not available.

GPAs were converted to a 4.0 scale. Approximately 25 percent of students did not have a reported GPA. In many

cases, it meant that the student did not complete any courses.

Associate’s degree objective GOAL8990

Type of degree student reported working toward at 1989–90 postsecondary institution. The categories include the

following:
Appendix A—Glossary

55

No degree Student did not report working toward any formal degree.

Vocational certificate Student reported working toward a certificate or formal award

other than an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

Associate’s degree Student reported working toward an associate’s degree.

Bachelor’s degree Student reported working toward a bachelor’s degree.

Worked while enrolled HRS8990

Average hours worked per week during those months when enrolled for at least part of the month. If the student was

employed (including college work-study and any assistantships) during a given month, the average number of hours

worked per week across all jobs held during the month was derived based on the starting and ending dates and the

average hours worked per week of each job as reported during the interview. In calculating this average, the denominator was increased by 1 if the student was employed and enrolled at any time during the month.

NOTE: For this variable, employment was only considered if the student was enrolled during part of the month. For

example, if students worked 20 hours per week for 3 months during the year they were enrolled, but worked 40 hours

per week at other times, their value for this variable would be 20 (i.e., in deriving this variable, the hours employed

while not enrolled were ignored). Asked on student CATI. The variable was aggregated as follows:

Did not work

1–15 hours per week

16–34 hours per week

35 or more per week

Number of children KIDS8990

Number of children living with the student during the month the student began at 1989–90 postsecondary institution.

No children

One or more children

Marital status MAR8990

Marital status during month when first enrolled at 1989–90 postsecondary institution.

Never married Student was never married.

Married Student was married.

Divorced/separated/widowed Student was either married, but separated from his or her

spouse, widowed, or divorced.

Number of degrees attempted NUMDEG

Total number of all types of degrees (associate’s, bachelor’s, and certificate) the student attempted during postsecondary education through 1994.
Appendix A—Glossary

56

Institution in 1989–90 OFCO8990

Level and control of 1989–90 postsecondary institution. For this analysis, only public 2-year; public 4-year; and private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions were considered.

Public 2-year A postsecondary institution that is supported primarily by

public funds and operated by publicly elected or appointed officials who control the programs and activities. Institution that

does not confer bachelor’s degrees, but does provide 2-year

programs that result in a certificate or an associate’s degree, or

2-year programs that fulfill part of the requirements for a

bachelor’s degree or higher at a 4-year institution.

Public 4-year A postsecondary education institution that is supported primarily by public funds and operated by publicly elected or appointed officials who control the programs and activities.

Institutions award bachelor’s degrees and can award doctorate

degrees and first-professional degrees. These degrees include

chiropractic, pharmacy, dentistry, podiatry, medicine, veterinary medicine, optometry, law, osteopathic medicine, and theology.

Private, not-for-profit 4-year A postsecondary institution that is controlled by an independent governing board and incorporated under Section 501(c)(3)

of the Internal Revenue Code and can award bachelor’s degrees or higher, including institutions that award doctorate degrees and first-professional degrees. These degrees include

chiropractic, pharmacy, dentistry, podiatry, medicine, veterinary medicine, optometry, law, osteopathic medicine, and theology.

First-generation college student (parents’ highest education) RPARED

Maximum of father’s or mother’s education. For this analysis, this variable was used to indicate first-generation college student status.

First-generation students included those whose parents had:

 High school or less

Non-first-generation students included those whose parents had:

 Some postsecondary education

 Bachelor’s degree or higher

Satisfaction with first institution SATISFYN

The number of aspects of the 1989–90 postsecondary institution the student reported being satisfied with. The aspects are price of attendance, intellectual growth, prestige of institution, social life, and teaching ability of faculty.

For this analysis, the numbers of aspects were categorized as follows:

Low Student was satisfied with 1–3 aspects.

Moderate Student was satisfied with 4 aspects.

High Student was satisfied with 5 aspects.
Appendix A—Glossary

57

Academic counseling SATNACNS

Indicates whether student used and was satisfied or not with academic counseling at the 1989–90 postsecondary institution. For this analysis, the variable was aggregated as follows:

Did not use

Used

Financial aid counseling SATNFCNS

Indicates whether student used and was satisfied or not with financial aid counseling at 1989–90 postsecondary institution. For this analysis, the variable was aggregated as follows:

Did not use

Used

Job counseling SATNJCNS

Indicates whether student used and was satisfied or not with job counseling services at 1989–90 postsecondary institution. For this analysis, the variable was aggregated as follows:

Did not use

Used

Job placement SATNJOBP

Indicates whether student used and was satisfied or not with job placement services at the first institution. For this

analysis, the variable was aggregated as follows:

Did not use

Used

Personal counseling SATNPCNS

Indicates whether student used and was satisfied or not with personal counseling services at 1989–90 postsecondary

institution. For this analysis, the variable was aggregated as follows:

Did not use

Used

Socioeconomic status SESPERC

Composite variable combining parents’ education and occupation, dependent student’s family income, and the existence of material possessions in respondent’s home. Applies to first-year students whether or not they are beginning

students.

Low quartile Socioeconomic status fell at or below the lowest 25th percentile.
Appendix A—Glossary

58

Middle quartiles Socioeconomic status fell between the 25th and the 75th percentiles.

High quartile Socioeconomic status fell at or above the 75th percentile.

Persistence in 1989–90 STOP8990

Indicates student’s persistence status at the beginning of the second year and also indicates whether a student subsequently returned (stopout) as of 1994. This variable recodes the original persistence variable (PER8990R)20 to disaggregate students coded as stopout transfers or downward transfers, who may or may not have stopped out. This

variable differs from PER8990R in several ways:

1. It disaggregates transfer stopouts from downward transfers who did not stop out, and calls the latter persisters.

2. If a student transferred and earned a certificate in 1989–90, they are coded as attained certificate.

3. If a student transferred and then left for good in 1989–90, they are coded as leaving without return.

Attained certificate Student attained certificate in 1989–90.

Persisted to 1990–91 Student had no more than a 4-month break in 1989–90 enrollment and reenrolled the following year (1990–91). They may

or may not have subsequently interrupted their enrollment.

Stopout return Student interrupted enrollment in the first year or did not

reenroll in 1990–91 and later reenrolled in the institution of

origin.

Stopout transfer Student interrupted enrollment in the first year or did not

reenroll in 1990–91 and later reenrolled at a different institution.

Stayed out though 1994 Student left in first year and did not reenroll before the end of

the 1994 follow-up.

Academic year stopouts returned STOPBACK

Based on students identified as stopouts according to STOP8990 and the year-to-year persistence and attainment

variable. The first instance where a student is shown to be enrolled is coded as the year of return.

1990–91

1991–92

1992–93

1993–94

In study groups with other students STUDYGRP

Indicates if student participated in study groups with other students outside of the classroom. For a complete description, see ATLECTUR. Asked on student CATI.

 

20See Berkner et al. (1996) for a detailed description of the variable PER8990.
Appendix A—Glossary

59

Met advisor concerning academic plans TALKADVI

Indicates if student met with advisor concerning academic plans. For a complete description, see ATLECTUR.

Asked on student CATI.

Talked about academic matters with faculty TALKFAC

Indicates if student talked with faculty about academic matters outside of class time. For a complete description, see

ATLECTUR. Asked on student CATI.

Received grant aid TOTGRT

Indicates whether student received any grants from July 1989 to June 1990. Grants are a type of student financial aid

that do not require repayment or employment. At the undergraduate level, a grant is usually (but not always) awarded

on the basis of need, possibly combined with some skills or characteristics that a student possesses. Grants include

scholarships and fellowships. The percentage of students with grants is the percentage with positive amounts recorded for this variable.

Received loan aid TOTLOAN

Indicates whether student received any loans from July 1989 to June 1990. This includes all loans through federal,

state, or institutional programs except PLUS loans (which are made to parents). Loans are a type of student financial

aid that advances funds and that are evidenced by a promissory note requiring the recipient to repay the specified

amounts under prescribed conditions. The percentage of students with loans is the percentage with positive amounts

recorded for this variable.

First transfer institution TRANSLVL

Indicates the level of institution for student’s first transfer. Students were coded 0 if they did not transfer.

4-year

2-year

Less-than-2-year

61

Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study

The Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:90/94) followed students

from the 1989–90 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:90) sample who were

identified as first-time beginning (FTB) students in academic year 1989–90. A computer-assisted

telephone interview (CATI) was conducted with these students 2 and 4 years after the Base Year

survey. The CATI system provides interviewers with screens of questions and guides the interviewer and respondent through the interview. The CATI software automatically skips inapplicable questions based on prior response patterns or suggests appropriate wording for probes should

a respondent pause or seem uncertain in answering a question. This particular CATI collected

information concerning enrollment, program completion, education financing, employment, and

family formation; graduate school access and enrollment; and civic participation. The data derived from this survey permit a variety of analyses concerning postsecondary persistence and

completion, entry into the work force, and civic participation.

Response Rates

Unlike other NCES longitudinal surveys based on grade-specific cohorts (such as High

School and Beyond), the BPS design allows for the increasing numbers of “nontraditional” postsecondary students, such as those who have delayed their education due to financial needs or

family responsibilities. Students who began their postsecondary studies before 1989–90, stopped

out, and then returned to their studies in 1989–90 were not included, nor were students who were

still enrolled in high school.

The BPS survey sample, while representative and statistically accurate, is not a simple random sample. Instead, the samples are selected using a more complex three-step procedure with

stratified samples and differential probabilities of selection at each level. First, postsecondary

institutions were selected within geographic strata. Once institutions were organized by zip code

and state, they were further stratified by control (i.e., public; private, not-for-profit; or private,

for-profit) and degree offering (less-than-2-year; 2-year to 3-year; 4-year nondoctorate-granting;

and 4-year doctorate-granting).
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

62

A student was defined to be a respondent for BPS:90/94 if the student either confirmed the

schools attended (including identification of any additional schools not previously reported) or

provided status as of February 1994 for enrollment, employment, and postsecondary degree attainment. Among the known eligible sample students,21 the unweighted BPS:90/94 response rate

is 91.4 percent. The weighted response rate, using the NPSAS:90 analysis weights, is 91.0 percent. Among respondents, about 10 percent of sample members did not have sufficiently detailed

enrollment histories to allow for classification in the persistence variables used in this report.

For more information on BPS:90/94, consult Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94) Final Technical Report (NCES 96-153) (Washington,

DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996).

Accuracy of Estimates

The statistics in this report are estimates derived from a sample. Two broad categories of

error occur in such estimates: sampling and nonsampling errors. Sampling errors occur because

observations are made only on samples of students, not on entire populations. Nonsampling errors occur not only in sample surveys but also in complete censuses of entire populations. Nonsampling errors can be attributed to a number of sources: inability to obtain complete information

about all students in all institutions in the sample (some students or institutions refused to participate, or students participated but answered only certain items); ambiguous definitions; differences in interpreting questions; inability or unwillingness to give correct information; mistakes in

recording or coding data; and other errors of collecting, processing, sampling, and imputing

missing data.

Data Analysis System

The estimates presented in this report were produced using the BPS:90/94 Data Analysis

System (DAS). The DAS software makes it possible for users to specify and generate their own

tables from BPS:90/94 data. With the DAS, users can replicate or expand upon the tables presented in this report. In addition to the table estimates, the DAS calculates proper standard errors22 and weighted sample sizes for these estimates. For example, table B1 contains standard

 

21Eligibility status could not be determined for about 6 percent of the BPS:90/94 sample.

22Since the BPS sample is not a simple random sample, simple random sample techniques for estimating sampling errors cannot

be applied to these data. The DAS takes into account the complexity of the sampling procedures and calculates standard errors

appropriate for such samples. The method for computing sampling errors used by the DAS involves approximating the estimator

by the linear terms of a Taylor series expansion. The procedure is typically referred to as the Taylor series method.
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

63

Table B1—Standard errors for text table 6: Percentage distribution of 1989–90 beginning students according

Table B1—to their highest degree attained or enrollment status in 1994, by persistence or departure status in

Table B1—1989–90 and first institution attended

 Attained No degree, No degree,

 Associate’s Bachelor’s enrolled not enrolled

Total Certificate degree degree in 1994 in 1994

All beginning students

 Total1 1.09 0.83 0.81 1.04 0.74 1.08

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 1.22 1.05 1.05 1.32 0.88 1.06

 Stopout return 4.20 3.23 3.04 1.30 3.47 4.68

 Stopout transfer 3.91 3.76 1.98 0.77 3.13 3.54

All 4-year

 Total 1.26 0.38 0.39 1.35 0.77 1.04

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 1.22 0.34 0.44 1.31 0.88 0.86

 Stopout return 4.38 0.72 1.31 4.22 4.44 4.71

 Stopout transfer 4.04 3.16 2.92 2.01 3.29 4.28

Public 4-year

 Total 1.59 0.52 0.54 1.64 1.00 1.39

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 1.60 0.47 0.62 1.67 1.18 1.17

 Stopout return 4.90 0.00 1.80 4.65 5.84 6.01

 Stopout transfer 5.15 4.14 3.68 2.43 4.15 5.46

Private, not-for-profit 4-year

 Total 1.64 0.40 0.43 1.91 0.79 1.36

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 1.42 0.42 0.44 1.70 0.80 1.11

 Stopout return 7.34 2.49 0.83 7.66 4.57 6.07

 Stopout transfer 5.08 2.46 3.97 3.33 4.53 5.32

Public 2-year

 Total 1.98 1.44 1.63 1.01 1.49 2.01

Persistence or departure in 1989–90

 Persisted2 2.55 2.06 2.39 1.69 2.04 2.52

 Stopout return 5.75 3.55 4.68 1.25 4.31 5.71

 Stopout transfer 6.29 6.26 2.84 0.00 5.52 5.59

1

Does not include students in private, for-profit institutions; public less-than-2-year institutions; or private, not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions (about 14 percent of beginning students).

2

Includes a small percentage who attained a certificate in 1989–90.

NOTE: The zero standard errors round to less than 0.001 percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1989–90 Beginning Postsecondary Students

Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

64

errors that correspond to table 6 in the text, and was generated by the BPS:90/94 DAS. If the

number of valid cases is too small to produce a reliable estimate (fewer than 30 cases), the DAS

prints the message “low-N” instead of the estimate.

In addition to tables, the DAS will also produce a correlation matrix of selected variables to

be used for linear regression models. Included in the output with the correlation matrix are the

design effects (DEFTs) for each variable in the matrix. Since statistical procedures generally

compute regression coefficients based on simple random sample assumptions, the standard errors

must be adjusted with the design effects to take into account the BPS:90/94 stratified sampling

method. (See discussion under “Statistical Procedures” below for the adjustment procedure.)

The DAS can be obtained electronically from the NCES website (NCES.ed.gov) or from

the west coast “mirror site” (PEDAR-DAS.org). For more information about the BPS:90/94 Data

Analysis System, contact:

Aurora D’Amico

NCES Postsecondary and Educational Outcomes Longitudinal Studies

555 New Jersey Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20208-5652

(202) 219-1365

Internet address: Adamico@inet.ed.gov

Statistical Procedures

Two types of statistical procedures were used in this report: testing differences between

means, and adjustment of means after controlling for covariation among a group of variables.

Each procedure is described below.

Differences Between Means

The descriptive comparisons were tested in this report using the Student’s t statistic. Differences between estimates are tested against the probability of a Type I error, or significance level.

The significance levels were determined by calculating the Student’s t values for the differences

between each pair of means or proportions and comparing these with published tables of significance levels for two-tailed hypothesis testing.

Student’s t values may be computed to test the difference between estimates with the following formula:

t =

E - E

se +se

1 2

1

2

2

2 (1)
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

65

where E1 and E2 are the estimates to be compared and se1 and se2 are their corresponding standard errors. This formula is valid only for independent estimates. When estimates are not independent, a covariance term must be added to the formula. If the comparison is between the mean

of a subgroup and the mean of the total group, the following formula is used:

Esub − Etot

sesub

2 + setot2 − 2p sesub2 (2)

where Esub is the proportion among the subgroup and Etot is the proportion among all cases; and

where p is the proportion of the total group contained in the subgroup.23

When comparing two percentages from a distribution that adds to 100 percent, the following formula is used:

E -E

se + se - 2(r)se se

1 2

1

2

2

2

1 2

(3)

where r is the correlation between the two estimates.24 The estimates, standard errors, and correlations can all be obtained from the DAS.

There are hazards in reporting statistical tests for each comparison. First, comparisons

based on large t statistics may appear to merit special attention. This can be misleading, since the

magnitude of the t statistic is related not only to the observed differences in means or percentages

but also to the number of students in the specific categories used for comparison. Hence, a small

difference compared across a large number of students would produce a large t statistic.

A second hazard in reporting statistical tests for each comparison occurs when making

multiple comparisons among categories of an independent variable. For example, when making

paired comparisons among different levels of income, the probability of a Type I error for these

comparisons taken as a group is larger than the probability for a single comparison. When more

than one difference between groups of related characteristics, or “families,” are tested for statistical significance, one must apply a standard that assures a level of significance for all of those

comparisons taken together.

Comparisons were made in this report only when p < .05/k for a particular pairwise comparison, where that comparison was one of k tests within a family. This guarantees both that the

 

23U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, A Note from the Chief Statistician, No. 2, 1993.

24Ibid.
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

66

individual comparison would have p < .05 and that for k comparisons within a family of possible

comparisons, the significance level for all the comparisons will sum to p < .05.25

For example, in a comparison of the percentages of males and females who enrolled in

postsecondary education, only one comparison is possible (males versus females). In this family,

k=1, and the comparison can be evaluated without adjusting the significance level. When students are divided into five racial–ethnic groups and all possible comparisons are made, then k=10

and the significance level of each test must be p < .05/10, or p < .005. The formula for calculating family size (k) is as follows:

k = j(j -1)

2 (4)

where j is the number of categories for the variable being tested. In the case of race–ethnicity,

there are five racial–ethnic groups (American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific Islander,

black non-Hispanic, Hispanic, and white non-Hispanic), so substituting 5 for j in equation 2,

k = 5(5 -1)

2

=10

Adjustment of Means to Control for Background Variation

Tabular results are limited by sample size when attempting to control for additional factors

that may account for the variation observed between two variables. For example, when examining the percentages of those who completed a degree or were still enrolled in postsecondary education 5 years after their initial enrollment, it is impossible to know to what extent the observed

variation is due to socioeconomic status (SES) differences and to what extent it is due to differences in other factors related to SES, such as type of institution attended, intensity of enrollment,

and so on. However, if a nested table were produced showing SES within type of institution attended within enrollment intensity, the cell sizes would be too small to identify the patterns.

When the sample size becomes too small to support controls for another level of variation, one

must use other methods to take such variation into account.

 

25The standard that p<.05/k for each comparison is more stringent than the criterion that the significance level of the comparisons should sum to p<.05. For tables showing the t statistic required to ensure that p<.05/k for a particular family size and degrees of freedom, see Olive Jean Dunn, “Multiple Comparisons Among Means,” Journal of the American Statistical Association

56 (1961): 52–64.
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

67

To overcome this difficulty, multiple linear regression was used to obtain means or percentages that were adjusted for covariation among a list of control variables.26 Adjusted means

for subgroups were obtained by regressing the dependent variable on a set of descriptive variables such as student demographic characteristics and institution characteristics. Substituting

ones or zeros for the subgroup characteristic(s) of interest and the mean proportions for the other

variables results in an estimate of the adjusted proportion for the specified subgroup, holding all

other variables constant. For example, consider a hypothetical case in which two variables, age

and gender, are used to describe an outcome, Y (such as attaining a degree). The variables age

and gender are recoded into a dummy variable representing age, A, and a dummy variable representing gender, G:

Age A

24 years or older 1

Under 24 years old 0

Gender G

Female 1

Male 0

The following regression equation is then estimated from the correlation matrix output

from the DAS:

ˆ Y = a + b1A+ b2G (5)

Where Y is the adjusted mean (or percentage), a is the intercept from the regression model;

b1 is the regression coefficient of the dummy variable representing age; and b2 is the regression

coefficient representing gender. To estimate the adjusted mean for any subgroup evaluated at the

mean of all other variables, one substitutes the appropriate values for that subgroup’s dummy

variables (1 or 0) and the mean for the dummy variable(s) representing all other subgroups. For

example, suppose Y represents degree attainment and is being described by age (A) and gender

(G), with means as follows:

VARIABLE MEAN

A 0.355

G 0.521

Next, suppose the regression equation results in:

 

26For more information about weighted least squares regression, see Michael S. Lewis-Beck, Applied Regression: An Introduction, Vol. 22 (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1980); William D. Berry and Stanley Feldman, Multiple Regression in

Practice, Vol. 50 (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1987).
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

68

ˆ Y = 0.15 + 0.17A + 0.01G (6)

To estimate the adjusted value for older students, one substitutes the appropriate parameter

estimates and variable values into equation 6.

Variable Parameter Value

a 0.15 —

A 0.17 1.000

G 0.01 0.521

This results in:

ˆ Y = 0.15 +(0.17)(1) + (0.01)(0.521) = 0.325

In this case, the adjusted mean for older students is 0.325, and it represents the expected

chance of degree attainment for older students who look like the average student across the other

variables (in this example, gender). In other words, the adjusted percentage of students 24 or

older who attained a degree after controlling for gender is 32.5 percent (0.325 x 100 for conversion to a percentage).

One can produce a multivariate model using the DAS, since one of the DAS output options

is a correlation matrix, computed using pair-wise missing values.27 This matrix can be used by

most statistical software packages as the input data for least-squares regression. That is the approach used for this report, with an additional adjustment to incorporate the complex sample design into the statistical significance tests of the parameter estimates (described below). For

tabular presentation, parameter estimates and standard errors were multiplied by 100 to match the

scale used for reporting unadjusted and adjusted percentages.

Most statistical software packages assume simple random sampling when computing standard errors of parameter estimates. Because of the complex sampling design used for the BPS

survey, this assumption is incorrect. A better approximation of their standard errors is to multiply

each standard error by the design effect associated with the dependent variable (DEFT),28 where

the DEFT is the ratio of the true standard error to the standard error computed under the assumption of simple random sampling. The DEFT is calculated by the DAS and is part of the correlation matrix output file.

 

27Although the DAS simplifies the process of making regression models, it also limits the range of models. Analysts who wish to

use other than pairwise treatment of missing values or to estimate probit/logit models (which are the most appropriate for models

with categorical dependent variables) can apply for a restricted data license from NCES. For a discussion of such models, see

John H. Aldrich and Forrest D. Nelson, Linear Probability, Logit and Probit Models (Quantitative Applications in Social Sciences, Vol. 45) (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1984).

28The adjustment procedure and its limitations are described in C.J. Skinner, D. Holt, and T.M.F. Smith, eds., Analysis of Complex Surveys (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1989).