ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4133-3245

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Administrative and Instructional Leadership

First Advisor

Katherine Aquino

Second Advisor

Stephen Kotok

Third Advisor

Marc E. Gillespie

Abstract

Colleges and universities are under pressure to increase enrollment and avoid attrition. It is clear that institutions need to increase efforts to work against decreasing graduate enrollment trends and focusing on students already in-place on campus may be an avenue to do so. Research is lacking concerning factors that may be related to the decision by undergraduate students to pursue graduate studies at the same institution that granted the undergraduate degree. Understanding key characteristics of the group that remains at the institution allows us to identify a student profile to focus on to increase graduate enrollment, especially in light of an industry-wide fear of the upcoming “enrollment cliff” which has institutions resorting to downsizing, rather than growing. This study examines such graduate enrollment at a large, urban, private, higher education institution that has seen recent enrollment decline. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the factors that influence decision-making of students to continue at their institution and pursue a graduate degree. The purpose of this non-experimental research is to explore factors related to this decision. Variables related to student and academic characteristics are utilized to better understand student decision-making. Through a combination of Descriptive Decision Theory and Rational Choice Theory, a unique theoretical lens frames this research. This study utilizes student data from institutional records, conducting analysis of descriptive statistics, and a series of independent sample t-tests, chi squares, and logistic regressions. This research is significant, as it helps to identify factors that may be related to why students make decisions to continue with the same institution for their graduate studies, ultimately helping to inform institutions on how to use data to identify a focus for utilization of graduate enrollment management resources.

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