A Non-Parametric Statistical Analysis of the Relationship Between College GPA and ACT Scores for First- and Continuing-Generation Engineering Undergraduates

摘要

A significant portion of college students are first-generation students - whose parents' highest level of education is a high school diploma or less, or whose parents have never enrolled in postsecondary education. The present study investigates the relationship between first- and continuing-generation undergraduate engineering students' college graduate point average (GPA) and ACT scores across all four years of undergraduate study, rather than solely the first year. ACT (American College Testing) is a standardized test administered by the College Board and widely used for college admission in the U.S. The data employed in the present study were collected from a 4-year public research institution in the U.S., involving 6,683 student records in recent three academic years. These student records included 977 (14.6%) records for first-generation students and 5,706 (85.4%) records for continuing-generation students. Based on the results of normality tests, non-parametrical statistical analysis was performed in the present study. It was found that in general, the difference in college GPA between first- and continuing-generation students is not statistically significant, while the difference in ACT scores between first- and continuing-generation students is statistically significant. ACT scores are statistically significantly different among all three sub-groups of first-generation students (i.e., those with high, medium, and low college GPA) in all three academic years involved in the present study.