Selection and Context as Factors Affecting the Probability of Graduation from College

This study focuses on the relation of type of college attended to graduation as a factor in the educational selection process. The analysis is based on a sample of Wisconsin males who where followed up seven years after graduation from high school. Because different types of institutions select different types of students, it is necessary to control relevant student characteristics to determine the existence of contextual effects. A stepwise multiple regression analysis shows that type of college attended explains a small but significant proportion of variance in college graduation beyond what can be accounted for by measured intelligence, rank in high school class, socioeconomic background, and level of occupational aspiration in high school. Other findings are that different types of colleges have different effects for students of different socioeconomic status and intelligence levels and that the selection process into different types of schools has some effect on the overall educational selection process.