Beyond Access and Enrollment: How Distance Relates to Persistence and Degree Completion Among Students Attending In-State Public Institutions

Abstract

Students travel varying distances to attend college, and while the relationship between distance and enrollment is well established, its role in outcomes after enrollment is less understood. This study examines how distance from high school to college predicts persistence and degree completion among Kentucky public high school graduates who enrolled at in-state public institutions between 2009 and 2016. For associate degree seekers, a one-standard-deviation increase in distance (27 miles) reduces the likelihood of persistence by 3% and degree completion within four years by 14%. For bachelor’s degree seekers, distance reduces the probability of persisting to the second year, but moderate distances are associated with higher four-year completion: An additional 10 miles from the average of 50 miles increases completion probability by 1.5%. These findings highlight the potential for institutions to incorporate distance as a simple, observable indicator of student risk. Combined with information on campus residency status, distance can be used in retention strategies to identify students more likely to struggle and to target interventions that improve persistence and degree completion.