Academic Prolfes of Students in a College of Agriculture

This paper establishes a clearer picture of the demographics of a single cohort of undergraduate students that entered [State’s] College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) in the fall semester of 2013. We compared the demographics of the cohort with the overall population of [State] to determine how well the student population at CALS represents the state it serves. We found that female students, White students, and students from economically developed counties were over-represented in the cohort as compared to the general population of the state. Using descriptive statistics, we created academic profiles for student groups of interest. The comparisons we made between groups show evidence that male, Latinx, out-of-state, and nontraditional students have mean graduation rates which are troublingly low. This research can help to guide efforts at these institutions to more effectively develop resources to continue to facilitate success for student groups who are thriving and to better support those who are experiencing hardship.