Retention of Undergraduate Students with Disabilities at the University of Washington

Abstract

Retention of individuals with disabilities in higher education is gaining importance as individuals with disabilities gain greater access to a higher education. This study examines data from the University of Washington student database to study the factors relating to retention and students with disabilities and to examine if predictors of retention differ between individuals with disabilities and those without disabilities. After using multiple imputation to estimate missing values, logistic regression looked at factors predicting retention. Overall individuals with disabilities graduated at approximately the same rates as other students and factors associated with retention did not significantly differ in the two groups. The only subgroup of disability associated with lower retention included individuals with psychological and emotional disorders. The result of individuals with disabilities graduating at approximately the same rate as those without disabilities is promising but better data from more universities needs to be studied for a clearer picture of predictors of retention for individuals with disabilities.