Noncognitive Predictors of Academic Achievement Among Nontraditional and Traditional Ethnically Diverse College Students

Abstract

Research examining noncognitive predictors of academic success among ethnic minority, nontraditional college students is scant. The present study examined the degree to which noncognitive variables (conscientiousness, grit, college self-efficacy, time management, and test anxiety) predict achievement (college GPA) among ethnically diverse college students. We also explored the degree to which a student’s nontraditionalness moderated the effects that noncognitive factors had on academic achievement. Participants were 340 undergraduates enrolled in a four-year Hispanic-serving institution. The perseverance facets of grit, conscientiousness, college self-efficacy, and time management were all positive correlates of achievement. Hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that after controlling for students’ demographics and high school GPA, college self-efficacy and test anxiety were significant predictors of college achievement. Moderation analyses indicated that conscientiousness is positively associated with achievement in traditional college students but is not associated with achievement among nontraditional students.