Using Latent Profile Analysis to Harness the Heterogeneity of Nonretained College Students. (February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sulak, Tracey N.; Massey, Jennifer; Thomson, David
• Is Part Of: Journal of college student retention. Volume 18:Number 4(2017:Feb.)
• Page Start: 457
• Page End: 473
• Publication Date: 2017-02
• Subjects: retention -- analysis -- first-year programming -- latent profile analysis; College dropouts -- Periodicals; College dropouts -- Prevention -- Periodicals; College attendance -- Periodicals; 378.16913
• DOI: 10.1177/1521025115611385
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1521-0251

Abstract

Universities struggle to raise retention rates among first-year students. Traditional analyses have not only focused on large-scale issues and addressed the needs of the majority but also done little to change overall retention numbers. The current study demonstrates the benefit of using a person-centered approach to retention research. Latent profile analysis was used to examine all nonretained, first-year students ( n = 515) from the 2011 cohort at a private, research-intensive university. The larger population of nonretained first-year students appeared to contain several smaller, subpopulations, and these smaller groups differed on key variables collected by the university. The differences in the subpopulations indicate a need for greater specificity in retention programming.