Academic Engagement and Student Success: Do High-Impact Practices Mean Higher Graduation Rates?

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationship between 10 high-impact practices and graduation rates at four-year public colleges and universities in the United States. The Association of American Colleges and Universities defined high-impact practices as especially effective for student learning, engagement, and career preparation in the 21st century. While advocacy for these practices and their inclusion in undergraduate curricula is growing, little research has examined their relationship to institutional outcomes. Based on data from 101 participating institutions, this study used both primary and secondary data to investigate whether offering high-impact practices as required for all students, required for some students, or optional was related to an institution’s four or six-year graduation rate. The findings suggest that high-impact practices are in widespread use across different institutional types but have limited relationships with graduation rates. This study contributes to the body of literature on college completion. Findings suggest that offering high-impact practices may not lead to increased graduation rates at public institutions.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic engagement
• college completion
• high-impact practices

Notes

¹ Results of equivalency test provided upon request.

² This study was not causal, nor did it seek to draw inferences about inclusion of high-impact practices at all types of institutions. While a correction was not included for the purposes of exploring all the relationships present in the study’s participating institutions, all but one significant correlation included in Tables 2 through 5 would have remained significant if a Bonferroni correction had been applied. Specifically, the relationship between student research and six-year graduation rate among nonselective institutions was no longer significant after using the Bonferroni correction. One reason may be the small sample size. Results of the Bonferroni correction will be provided upon request.