The influence of dual enrollment on rural student college persistence.

Using the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), this study addresses the research question of whether dual enrollment (DE) influences first- to third-year college persistence at a four-year institution, controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and rurality. The results revealed that there are statistically significant differences between the independent variables of DE Participation, Gender, Race/Ethnicity, SES, and Rurality and the dependent variable of College Persistence. Controlling for other variables, the following main effects results emerged: Students participating in DE courses were more likely to persist than non-DE students. Female DE students were more likely to persist when compared to male DE students. Black/African American students had a slightly higher likelihood of persisting than Hispanic or more than one race DE students even though minority students had a lower likelihood to persist than Asian or White students. Though low-SES DE students were less likely to persist when compared to middle or high-SES DE students, low-SES had the greatest moderating effects on DE participation and college persistence. DE students who took courses in a suburb or city were more likely to persist when compared to DE students who took courses in a town or rural location. However, DE students who took courses in a town were less likely to persist as compared to DE students who took courses in a rural area. These findings shed light on the effects of DE student participation with other controlling factors that have implications on rural student postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion.