Student Self-Reported Gains Attributed to College Attendance: Comparing Two-Year and Four-Year Students. IR Applications, Volume 17, January 15, 2009

As more students enroll at community colleges, questions are raised about whether learning is the same in the two- and four-year sectors, both overall and for sub-groups, and whether effects of student backgrounds and college experiences on learning are similar. This study used structural equation modeling with CCSSE and NSSE data from a sample of first- and second-year students at 18 institutions and concluded that mean self-reported academic and personal-social gains attributed to college attendance were significantly less for students at two-year colleges. These results were the same for demographic sub-groups, and also for two additional samples, including one with NSSE data only for students who reported their age as between 18 and 24 and CCSSE data only for students who reported their age as 18-24, their highest current educational credential as a high school diploma or GED, and their educational goal as transfer to a four-year institution; and a second additional sample with all two-year students and four-year students who attended a university with a large percentage of transfer students. (Contains 3 footnotes, 1 figure and 5 tables.)