The influence of academic and environmental factors on Hispanic college degree attainment

This study used the NELS 88-2000 data base to examine among Hispanic students precollege, college, and environmental predictors of (a) college first enrolled in (two-year versus four-year) and (b) undergraduate degree attainment for students who first enrolled in a two-year or four-year college. Hispanic students who attended a four-year college right after high school were much more likely to obtain a bachelor's degree than their peers who first attended a community college. Furthermore, precollege variables were more salient in predicting bachelor degree attainment for students who started in two-year colleges, while college-related variables were more salient for students who started in four-year colleges.