Associations between majors of graduating seniors and average SATs of incoming students within higher education in the U.S.

This paper explores the association between average SAT scores of incoming undergraduate cohorts and major completions of graduating student cohorts. College Scorecard data from 2019 is collected from all U.S. undergraduate degree-granting, higher education institutions reporting average SAT scores...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gunn, L., Horst ter, E., Markossian, T., Molina, G.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:Colombia
Institución:Universidad de los Andes
Repositorio:Séneca: repositorio Uniandes
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.uniandes.edu.co:1992/47126
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/1992/47126
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402030801X
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Education
SAT percentiles
Student cohorts
Majors of graduating student cohorts
Beta regression
Descripción
Sumario:This paper explores the association between average SAT scores of incoming undergraduate cohorts and major completions of graduating student cohorts. College Scorecard data from 2019 is collected from all U.S. undergraduate degree-granting, higher education institutions reporting average SAT scores of incoming cohorts (n=1,389). A multivariate beta regression approach, which allows for overdispersion and unit-interval responses, is proposed to explore associations between graduation rates by major (explanatory variables) and SAT percentiles of new student cohorts (response). Forty-nine percent of the variability in average SAT percentiles of incoming cohorts can be explained by the graduation proportions by major within institutions. Results show strong concurrent positive associations between average SAT percentiles of incoming cohorts and proportions of students graduating in: STEM fields; ethnic, cultural, and gender studies; social science; or languages, among others (p<0.01). A negative association is found between average SAT percentiles of incoming cohorts and graduating cohorts in degrees like security law enforcement or parks & recreation and fitness, as well as some traditional major choices, such as theology and psychology (p<0.01). Results are consistent by institution size, as well as public versus private, across most clusters. A statistical framework is introduced for analysis of the expected impact on average SAT percentiles of future student cohorts derived from changes in proportions by major of graduating student cohorts.