Choosing transfer institutions: examining the decisions of Texas community college students transferring to four-year institutions.

ABSTRACT

As more students begin their higher education trajectory in community colleges in the US, there are few studies investigating the choice process for community college transfer students. This study draws on models of college choice to examine community college student transfer decisions. Using longitudinal administrative data, we examine institutional characteristics associated with students' decisions about enrollment. We find that most transfers were to a relatively small subset of public, research institutions, despite a large and diverse set of options. Our results also indicate notable student subgroup preferences associated with measures of institutional support and quality for schools in student choice sets.