Abstracts Category : Other

Minnesota Career and Technical Education: MnSCU Applicants and the Influence of Homophily

by LTC Patricia Baker

This study explored the relationship between community college applicant educational aspirations, proximity of college to home, and the influence of homophilic factors on applicant choices. This quantitative study was conducted with archived applicant data from the 2013 academic year of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) applicants. The 2013 applicants intent to attending a MnSCU community college or technical college were included in the study; applicants intent on attending any of the seven state universities were excluded from the study. The dataset was assembled from the answers given by 28,520 applicants on the MnSCU Universal Application. The study results indicate a direct relationship between the applicants distance from home to MnSCU college of choice for both rural and metropolitan applicants. The study found a slight relationship between racial diversity with proximity of college of choice to home of record. The results showed no relationship to gender and proximity of college to home. This study also explored overall dispersion of educational levels that community and technical college applicants aspire for and their parents obtained in the population of 2013 MnSCU Universal Applications. The applicant educational aspiration trends were studied comprehensively among the 31 distinct MnSCU colleges across the state of Minnesota. The study conclusions were threefold: applicants overwhelmingly chose colleges within 5 miles of home; demographic factors had little influence on applicant decisions regarding educational degrees they intended to pursue; and demographic factors were highly prevalent in applicant choices of fields of study, especially in the rural community and technical college applicant cohorts. Keywords: Homophily, career and technical college, postsecondary education, CTE