Capitalizing Baccalaureate Degree Attainment: Identifying Student and Institution Level Characteristics that Ensure Success for Latinxs

ABSTRACT

Baccalaureate degree completion is essential for future development as a nation. Latinxs are the largest minority group in the country and by 2050 nearly one out of every three individuals will be of Latinx descent. While Latinx enrollment may increase, the proportion completing college is not comparable. This study explored the pre-college student characteristics and institutional environments through a capital theoretical perspective (Bourdieu, 1986) that fosters degree attainment measured six years after initial enrollment. The national (459 institutions), longitudinal study of 15,745 Latinx students quantitatively examined the impact of differing institutional contexts while accounting for individual characteristics. High school GPA and the number of college applications submitted are positive key factors while concerns about financing college have a negative effect at the student-level on predicting Latinx six year degree attainment. The institutional graduation rate and compositional diversity positively influence graduation. Results further illustrate that campus context matters. Disaggregated results revealed distinct predictors among each of the subgroups. Implications inform postsecondary institutional practices by highlighting mechanisms of inequity embedded within the system of higher education and how to enact transformational change.

KEYWORDS:

• Latinx
• degree attainment
• forms of capital
• HGLM
• national longitudinal quantitative study