What Factors
Affect Student
Success in
Online
Undergraduate
Courses
Findings of Institutional Research Data
Kelly Thornton Bostick
Data collected for this study was on a total of
1,762 students that have taken an online
undergraduate course at Arkansas Tech
University within the past year and a half.
STUDENTS’ OVERALL GPA
1800
1600
Number of Students
1400
1200
Not
Successful
(below 2.0)
1000
800
600
Successful
(2.0 or above)
400
200
0
Not Successful (below Successful (2.0 or
2.0)
above)
Frequency
Valid
Not Successful
Valid Percent
163
9.3
Successful
1599
90.7
Total
1762
100.0
What is
Success?
For this study, we
defined success as
a “C” (2.0 GPA) or
higher.
Students’ Number of Hours Taken Online
1600
1400
1-3 hours
online
Number of Students
1200
Number of
Hours Taken
Online
4-6 hours
online
1000
800
7-9 hours
online
600
400
10 or more
hours online
200
0
Hours
Online
1-3
4-6
7-9
10 and up
Total
Frequency
1395
275
57
35
Valid Percent
79.2
15.6
3.2
2.0
1762
100.0
Number of Students
1600
1400
1200
1000
Number of Students
Not Successful
(below 2.0)
800
Successful (2.0
or above)
600
400
200
0
Valid
Not Successful
Successful
Total
Frequency
293
1469
1762
Percent
16.6
83.4
100.0
Students’
Online
GPA
1600
Students’
Residency
1400
1200
1000
Number of Students
On Campus
800
Off Campus
600
400
200
0
Frequency
Valid
Valid Percent
Off Campus
1372
77.9
On Campus
390
22.1
1762
100.0
Total
1200
1000
Number of Students
800
With Advisor
600
Online
400
200
0
Valid
Frequency
With Advisor
737
On Line
1025
Total
1762
Valid
Percent
41.8
58.2
100.0
Cumulative
Percent
41.8
100.0
Students’
Registration
Type
(Online or
with Advisor)
1800
1600
1400
Number of Students
1200
Preregistered
1000
800
600
Registered
Late
400
200
0
Valid
Frequency
Pre-Registered
1598
Late
164
Registered
Total
1762
Valid
Percent
90.7
9.3
100.0
Students’
Registration
(Preregistered or
Registered Late)
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Success
and
Residency
Number of Students
On Campus
Off Campus
Not
Successful
Successful
ONGPA1
Not Successful
RES1
Off Campus
On Campus
Count
Total
Successful
256
1113
1369
% within RES1
18.7%
81.3%
100.0%
% within ONGPA1
88.0%
75.9%
77.9%
% of Total
14.6%
63.3%
77.9%
Count
% within RES1
% within ONGPA1
% of Total
35
354
389
9.0%
91.0%
100.0%
12.0%
24.1%
22.1%
2.0%
20.1%
22.1%
1600
1400
Success
and
Registration
Number of Students
1200
1000
Registered
Late
800
600
Preregistered
400
200
0
Successful
Not
Successful
ONGPA1
Not
Successful
Successful
DATE1
Pre-Registered
Late Registered
Count
Total
260
1336
1596
% within DATE1
16.3%
83.7%
100.0%
% within ONGPA1
89.3%
91.1%
90.8%
% of Total
14.8%
76.0%
90.8%
31
131
162
% within DATE1
19.1%
80.9%
100.0%
% within ONGPA1
10.7%
8.9%
9.2%
1.8%
7.5%
9.2%
Count
% of Total
1600
1400
Successful
and
Registration
Number of Students
1200
1000
Registered
Online
800
600
Registered
With Advisor
400
(Online or with
Advisor)
200
0
Successful
Not
Successful
REG1
In Person
ONGPA1
Not Successful
Count
OnLine
143
148
291
% within ONGPA1
49.1%
50.9%
100.0%
% within REG1
19.5%
14.5%
16.6%
8.1%
8.4%
16.6%
591
876
1467
% within ONGPA1
40.3%
59.7%
100.0%
% within REG1
80.5%
85.5%
83.4%
% of Total
33.6%
49.8%
83.4%
% of Total
Successful
Total
Count
• Further research might
include the percentage
of students that have
dropped online
courses.