Determinants of Undergraduate GPA and Persistence at Connecticut College

This thesis uses a unique dataset of five class-years to determine the factors that affect the academic experience of students at Connecticut College, particularly their cumulative grade point averages (CGPA) and persistence into sophomore year. Chapter I examines how changes in high school inputs affect students’ performance at Connecticut College. This chapter finds that high school inputs (viz., pupil-teacher ratio, total expenditure per pupil, and expenditure on teacher salaries per pupil) have a significant effect on college GPA even after controlling for demographics and prior academic performance. Chapter II examines the factors affecting persistence at Connecticut College. It finds that various measures of fit between a student and his or her peers have a strong impact on persistence into sophomore year. CONNECTICUT COLLEGE NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT MAY 2014