Background and demographic factors that influence graduation: A comparison of six different types of majors

Abstract

How are engineering students different from other students? This study determined which demographic and background variables influenced graduation for engineering students, as well as education, business, psychology, health, and social science students. Once determined, a comparison between disciplines was made to discover if or how engineering students differ from other students. To perform the analysis, logistic regression with backwards elimination was used. The results showed that high school grade point average was a significant influence with respect to graduation for each discipline except psychology and business. A student's American College Test (ACT) English score was a significant and positive variable for both business and engineering majors while ACT math scores were only statistically significant for engineering students. These findings could potentially be used for recruiting as well as retention.