Analysis of Graduation and Retention Rates in 29 US Online Colleges

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Economics and Quantitative Analysis
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Contents
Purpose:...........................................................................................................................................3
Background:.....................................................................................................................................3
Method:............................................................................................................................................3
Results..............................................................................................................................................5
Discussion:.......................................................................................................................................9
Recommendation:..........................................................................................................................10
Reference:......................................................................................................................................11
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For analysing the graduation rate and the retention rate various aspects will be studied in this
report.
Purpose: The main purpose and objective of preparing this report are that the relationship
between the two rates has been analysed. The relationship between the variables of the
graduation rate and the retention rate will be stated. The main motive is to analyse them in-depth
and the co-relation between the two variables and in their rates.
Background: the rate of the graduation can be defined as the number of students who have taken
the degree of the graduations and who have completed their course within a particular period of
time. The rate of the retention can be redefined as the number of students who are studying in the
same college or continuing the course in which they are enrolled (Fox, 2015).
For the universities discussing these two rates becomes the significant discussions as they have
the interrelation between the graduation and the retention rate. By improving the manner of the
study and by taking into consideration all the key points of the study the graduation and the
retention rates can be improved. As per the experts, there has been no major relationship has
been observed between these two variables but with the help of this report, some relationship
between these two will be explored.
Method:
In this study, the analysis of the data has been done in the United States of the 29 colleges online.
All the colleges include two variables the one is the retention rate and the other is the graduation
rate. for both the variables, retention rate (%) and second in graduation rate (%) a descriptive
analysis is done for the standard deviation, mean, mode and median. For understanding the
relationship between these two variables the relationship between the retention rate (%) and
graduation rate (%) is explained through the scatter diagram (Emerson, 2015).
The analysis of the regression will be done to understand the level of the dependence of the
graduation rate on the retention rate. the interdependence and the correlation of the two variables
are identified with the help of the numerical value and by calculating the correlation coefficient.
The values lie between the 0 and 1 for the correlation coefficient, where no relationship between
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the variables have been fine if the coefficient is 0 and if it is 1 than the variables are dependents
on each other.
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Results
a)
The summary interpretation has been given which is related to the population.
b)
The relationship between the rate of the graduation and retention has been showed with the help
of the scatter diagram in which one variable is dependent on the other
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
RR v/s GR
GR(%)
Linear (GR(%))
RR
GR
Figure: the relationship between the graduation rate and the scattering rate.
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This diagram is showing the interconnection between the two variables of the retention and the
graduation rate. With the change in the retention rate, the graduation rate is affected which is
shown in this scatter diagram (Emerson, 2015). In this diagram, it is clearly stated that the
relationship between the retention rate and the graduation rate is positive as the straight line is
showing between the left to right. There is the strong relationship between the two variables
which is showing by linear line.
c)
Regression equation: Y= a+ b X
Where:
Y = dependent variable (Graduation rate)
X = Independent variable (Retention rate)
a = Intercept at y-axis
b = slope of the line.
a (Y-intercept) = 25.423
b = 0.285
Equation = (Y = 25.423 + 0.285 X)
d)
Regression Equation = (Y = 25.423 + 0.285 X)
The relationship between the two variables can be defined by the slope of the coefficient through
the regression line. The slope is indicating the equation of the 0.285 which is showing that the
retention rate and the graduation rate have a positive relationship. They have the interconnection
with them as if the retention rate rises with 1% then there will be an increase of 1.285% in the
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graduation rate. It can be stated that there is a remote relationship between them and this is the
reason that the slope of the equation is below than 1 (Fox, 2015).
e)
Regression Statistics
Multiple R 67%
R Square 45%
Adjusted R Square 43%
Standard Error 746%
Observations 29
It is concluded that the graduation rate is dependent on the retention rate by the rate of the 45%
and it is indicating the R square between them (Darlington and Hayes, 2016). Half of the
graduation rates get affected by the retention rate as there is an important moderate association
between them.
f)
From the above interpretation, the R square is of the 45% and value of the graduation is half of
the retention rate as there fit moderate good relationship between them. A change of the 55% is
not fit approximate.
g)
South university has the greater number of the retention rate as compared to the rate of the
graduation. This is indicating that the university has the greater number of student who is
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enrolling in comparison to the graduate students. This situation is not considered as the ideal and
the university has to fund the reasons behind that.
h)
The University of the Phoenix has the lowest rate of retention as a comparison to the other
universities. The university has a greater number of graduate students in comparison to the rate
of retention which is showing the positive factor for the company. The university has the higher
graduate students than the people who are enrolling.
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Discussion:
A study has been carried out in which the relationship between the two variables of the retention
rate and the graduate rate is evaluated by analysing the data of the 29 online institutes. With the
help of the chart, the relationship between the two variables is presented.
In most of the colleges, it is observed that rate of the retention is higher than the graduation rate
because there are many students who do the enrolment which is greater than the number of
students who graduate. So the mean rate of the retention is higher than the graduation rate which
is analysed through the average rates (Darlington and Hayes, 2016).
The lowest rate of retention is the 4% and the highest rate of the retention sit eh 100% which is
compared with the graduation rate in which the lowest rate of graduation is 25% and the highest
rate of the graduation is 61%. So it is concluded that the rate of the minimum retention is lower
as a comparison to the rate of graduation and the rate of maximum retention is greater than the
rate of the graduation.
So there is the positive relation between the retention and the graduation rate. The R square is
indicating the 44.92% in which the rate of the graduation is affected by the rate of the retention.
In the scatter diagram the linear relationship has been seen and in the equation of the slope of
regression the rate of the graduation is increased by 0.28 when the rate of the retention is
increased by per unit.
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Recommendation:
The president of South University has a good rate of retention but the rate of graduation is not
good which has to be increased to improve the performance of the college. By evaluating the
other factor, the rates can be increased and the implementation in the strategy can be done for
motivating the student to complete their degree.
The president of the Phoenix University has the very lower rate of retention among all the 29
online colleges. The university needs to emphasize the working environment and the other
factors so that the students start enrolling for next year. The reason behind the nation enrolment
can be the poor faculty, so the university needs to change that and also provide the extra classes
to the students so that they can make the better arrangements.
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Reference:
1. Darlington, R. B., & Hayes, A. F. (2016). Regression analysis and linear models:
Concepts, applications, and implementation. Guilford Publications.
2. Emerson, R. W. (2015). Causation and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Journal of
Visual Impairment & Blindness, 109(3), 242-244.
3. Fox, J. (2015). Applied regression analysis and generalized linear models. Sage
Publications.
4. Koo, T. K., & Li, M. Y. (2016). A guideline of selecting and reporting intraclass
correlation coefficients for reliability research. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 15(2),
155-163.
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