Campus Apartment Architecture Style and Likelihood to Graduate

An Exploratory Study at a Southern Public Liberal Arts University

Abstract

Because of increased opportunities for social interaction, undergraduate students living on campus are more likely to persist and graduate than their counterparts.  Residence hall design also contributes to student interaction.  This study explores the relationship between campus apartment design and graduation rates of a sophomore cohort attending a southern public liberal arts university.  Initial findings indicate students living in a communal apartment complex were more likely to graduate than those living in traditional complexes; a multivariate logistic regression finds the strongest predictors of graduation are race/ethnicity and semester credit hours earned.  Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.