Title: Exploring the spatial dimensions of college retention within the context of inequality

Authors: Serkan Catma; Serkan Varol

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, University of South Carolina Beaufort, 1 University Blvd, Hargray 224, Bluffton, SC, 29909, USA ' Department of Engineering Management and Technology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, EMCS 235, 615 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN, 37403, USA

Abstract: Exploring the spatial dimensions of college student retention is critical in order to fully understand the motivation of students dropping out; yet, the literature lacks a comprehensive spatial analysis. This study aims to assess the impact of a combination of spatial and institutional predictors on college student retention. A key finding of this research is that the geo-spatial location of a public four-year university in the US is an important determinant of student persistence. Distance to the closest metropolitan area, number of universities within close proximity and local unemployment rate where an institution is located not only impact freshman retention but also reveal important implications for barriers to equal access in higher education. We suggest that administrators and policy makers consider the spatial factors while determining the best management practices and policy tools to address problems pertaining not only to retention but also the accessibility issues in higher education. student retention, spatial, inequality, affordability, selectivity

Keywords: student retention; spatial; inequality; affordability; selectivity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEED.2023.127622

International Journal of Education Economics and Development, 2023 Vol.14 No.1, pp.42 - 55

Received: 10 Nov 2020
Accepted: 26 Jul 2021
Published online: 13 Dec 2022 *

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