Is There 'Still' a Considerable Difference? Comparing Residential and Commuter Student Profile Characteristics at a Public, Research, Commuter University

Project Innovation, Inc. P.O. Box 8508 Spring Hill Station, Mobile, AL 36689-0508. Tel: 251-343-1878; Fax: 251-343-1878; Web site: http://www.projectinnovation.biz/csj.html

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Commuter Colleges; Public Colleges; Student Characteristics; College Students; Profiles; Comparative Analysis; Multivariate Analysis; Research Universities; Grade Point Average; Class Rank; College Credits; School Holding Power; College Athletics; Student Financial Aid; Part Time Students; College Entrance Examinations; Socioeconomic Status; Educational Attainment; Parent Background; Age; Sex; Ethnicity; In State Students; Out of State Students

ACT Assessment; SAT (College Admission Test)

0146-3934

The purpose of the study is to compare the student profile characteristics, which were categorized as demographic, prematriculation, and matriculation, between traditional residential and commuter students at a public, research, commuter university. Using status attainment as the theoretical framework, the researchers employed a discriminant function analysis to examine how the student profile characteristics were classified (or discriminated) between the two student groups. The results suggested that compared to their residential student peers, commuter students were more likely to be Hispanic and to be in-state students. Residential students were more likely to be African American, possess a higher socioeconomic status, have parents with a higher level of education, accumulate more grossed credits, and use higher amounts of financial aid in the forms of work study, grants, and loans. When comparing the academic success measures (i.e., GPA, retention, academic standing), there were no differences between residential and commuter students. As national student enrollments continue to evolve and commuter institutions continue to admit more diverse student populations, additional research is needed to examine these evolving multifaceted student characteristics.

As Provided

94

2016

EJ1095549