Leaving the 2-Year College

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate Black male collegians’ reported reasons for leaving college. This study examined students in public 2-year colleges, comparing Black male collegians with all other male collegians. Data examined were derived from the first two waves (2003-2004 and 2005-2006) of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. Findings from descriptive data indicated that Blacks and non-Blacks had few similarities in the areas they reported as their reasons for leaving. Logistic regression analyses revealed little differences in patterns across the two waves in leaving college for academic problems. However, they illustrated that Black males were less likely to leave college for program dissatisfaction, financial reasons, military reasons, or scheduling issues. In contrast, patterns indicated that Black males were more likely to leave for other reasons not included in the response categories. Two variables examined in this study illustrated differences across the waves. In the first wave, the odds of Black male departure due to family responsibilities were greater for Black males, while they were lower in the second wave. This suggested that Black men who will leave college due to family responsibilities will do so early on. Furthermore, the odds of Black male departure were lower for other reasons in the first wave and greater in the second wave.