Vol. 5 (12) pp. 375-381 DOI: 10.21474/IJAR01/5971

EXAMINING STUDENT RETENTION WITH DATA ANALYTICS.

  • Dean's Distinguished Professor, Presidential Teaching Professor, Operations Management and Information Systems Department. College of Business, Northern Illinois University.
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Abstract

Student retention is a critical issue for institutions today. As students have increasing options for educational and career opportunities, institutions need to engage and retain students so they complete their degrees. Simultaneously, the need for Data Analytics knowledge and talent is exploding in the Information Systems field. This paper aims to utilize prevalent Data Analytics techniques using the open source software packages R and RStudio to examine characteristics important for student retention. K-means clustering and Decision Tree analyses were conducted to tell the story of student retention. Data used was collected in a large Freshmen class at a public institution. Results show that the perceived atmosphere at the institution, a student?s GPA, and lack of financial pressure are critical factors for retention. Other factors are also important and discussed. Suggestions are offered to increase student retention.

Keywords

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How to Cite This Article

Charles E. Downing. (2017); EXAMINING STUDENT RETENTION WITH DATA ANALYTICS., Int. J. of Adv. Res., 5 (12), 375-381, ISSN 2320-5407. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/5971

Corresponding Author

Charles E. Downing
Operations Management and Information Systems
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.