Research: Attrition, Persistence and Socialization in Graduate Education: Trends, Factors, Solutions

BACKGROUND: For many years, research in the U.S. and Canada has continued to show that students who enter doctoral programs (Ph.D. and Ed.D) have a 50% chance of never completing their degrees. This is a subject that I have researched for more than 30 years, since first embarking on my own successful PhD journey in 1989.

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Recommended text for graduate students and faculty: A wonderful new source of wisdom for graduate students who teach and who aspire to future professorial careers is Teaching Gradually: Practical Pedagogy for Graduate Students, edited by Kacie L. Armstrong, Lauren A. Genova, John Wyatt Greenlee, & Derina S. Samuel (2021)
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[For further references on this topic, see References on Success and Survival in Graduate School on the Graduate References section of GradMentor]

Academic Literature and References

2022-2023

{NEW} A Latent Class Analysis Approach to the Identification of Doctoral Students at Risk of Attrition (2023), by Samantha M. Stevens, et. al, published in the journal PLOS One
{NEW} Social Mobility through Doctoral Education: Exploring Identity, Classism, and Belongingness (2023), by Patrick K. Murphy, et. al, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} Facing the Dropout Crisis among PhD Candidates: The Role of Supervisor Support in Emotional Well-being and Intended Doctoral Persistence Among Men and Women (2023), by Robin Wollast, et. al, published in the journal Studies in Higher Education
{NEW} Surviving, Thriving, Departing, and the Hidden Competencies of Engineering Graduate School (2023), by Ellen Zerbe, et. al, published in the Journal of Engineering Education
{NEW} Attributes of Successful Graduate Students: Facilitating Self-Efficacy and Persistence (2023), by Hamid H. Atchan, et. al, published in the Journal of Advancing Education Practice
{NEW} Doctoral Advisor Selection Processes in Science, Math, and Engineering Programs in the United States (2023), by Mayra S. Artiles, et. al, published in the International Journal of STEM Education
{NEW} Surviving or Flourishing: How Relationships with Principle Investigators Influence Science Graduate Students’ Wellness (2023), by Kimberly A. Griffin, et. al, published in the journal Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
{NEW} The Fallacy of ‘There are no Candidates’: Institutional Pathways of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino Doctorate Earners (2023), by Gabriella Coloyan Fleming, et. al, published in the Journal of Engineering Education
{NEW} Examining how Graduate Advisors Mitigate or Exacerbate the Structural Barriers Women of Color Navigate in STEM Doctoral Programs (2023), by Kerrie G. Wilkins-Yel, et. al, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} Preparing Distance Learning Graduate Students: Results of an Innovative Online Orientation Program (2023), by J. Michael Leger, et. al, published in the journal Science Talks
{NEW} PhD First-generation and Continuing Generation Students’ Academic Experience and Strengths (2022), by Hana Bahack & Audrey Addi-Raccah, published in the journal Higher Education
{NEW} Improving Graduate Student Recruitment, Retention, and Professional Development During COVID-19 (2022), by Kent L. Willis, Barbara Holmes, and Noah Burwell, published in the American Journal of Educational Research
{NEW} Online Graduate Student Retention: Integrative Review with a Theoretically Framed Case Exemplar (2022), by Susan Hayes Lane, et. al, published in the Journal of Nursing Education
{NEW} Harassment and Gendered Academic Attrition in Academia (2022), by Andreea Gortabai and Gauri Subramani, published by the Social Science Research Network
{NEW} Profiles of Doctoral Students’ Self-Determination: Susceptibilities to Burnout and Dissent (2022), by Matt Shin, et. al, published in the journal Communication Education
{NEW} The Doctoral Student Math Problem: Evidence Indicating Most Doctoral Students’ Underdeveloped Math Skills Lead to Attrition (2022), by Carlo Morelli, published in the journal Humanities Commons
{NEW} Predictors of Persistence, Retention & Completion for First-Generation Graduate Students (2022), published in the Journal of Organizational Psychology
{NEW} Promoting Critical Consciousness, Academic Performance, and Persistence Among Graduate Students Experiencing Class-based Oppression (2022), by German A Cadenas, et. al, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} How ‘Returner’ and ‘Direct-Pathway’ Graduate Students’ Experiences May Lead to Attrition from Doctoral Programs (2022), by Shannon O’Brien, et. al, paper presented at the annual IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference
{NEW} Multilevel Analysis of Factors Predicting International Doctoral Students’ Time-to-Degree Completion (2022), by Osasohan Agbonlahor, published in the Journal of Graduate Education Research
{NEW} Writing and Reading Self-efficacy in Graduate Students: Implications for Psychological Well-being (2022), by Emily A. Jonas & Nathan C. Hall, published in the journal Interdisciplinary Education and Psychology
{NEW} Role of Personal and Organizational Factors on Student Attrition from Graduate Education: A Mixed-Model Approach (2022), by Hasan Yucel Ertem & Gokce Gokalp, published in the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice
{NEW} From Hardships to Possibilities: Dissertation Writing during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022), by Juan Manuel Nino and Onesimo M. Martinez, II published in COVID-19 and Higher Education in the Global Context
{NEW} Collective Achievement and Resistance: Understanding the Motivations of Doctoral Women of Color(2022), by V. Yi & Delma Ramos, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} Sink or Swim: The Mentoring Experiences of Latinx PhD Students with Faculty of Color (2022), by Stephen Santa-Ramirez, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} Fostering the Success of Working-Class Latina Doctoral Students at Predominantly White Institutions (2022), by Loni Crumb, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Exploring Black Graduate Women’s Perceptions of Student Loan Debt (2022), by Danielle N. Bostick, Candace M. Henry, & Lamesha C. Brown, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} Who is Publishing Journal Articles during Graduate School? Racial and Gender Inequalities in Biological Sciences over Time (2022), by Josipa Roksa, et. al, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} Promoting Critical Consciousness, Academic Performance, and Persistence among Graduate Students Experiencing Class-based Oppression (2022), by German A. Cadenas, et. al, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} Addressing Race and Diversity in Graduate Education: Practices from Student Activism (2022), by Wendy Chu, et. al, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} Understanding the Impact of Personal Challenges and Advisor Support on STEM Persistence among Graduate Women of Color (2022), by Kerrie G. Wilkins-Yel, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education

2021
{NEW] Annual Survey of Earned Doctorates (2021), from the National Science Foundation
{NEW} Adapting to the Transitional Stage of the Doctoral Environment: An Autoethnography of Socialization (2021), by Angela Matthews, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Individual and Structural Challenges in Doctoral Education: An Ethical Perspective (2021), by Liana Roos, Erika Lofstrom, & Marvi Remmik, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Abuse and Exploitation of Doctoral Students: A Conceptual Model for Traversing a Long and Winding Road to Academia (2021), by Aaron Cohen & Yehuda Baruch, published in the Journal of Business Ethics
{NEW} All You Need is Self-Determination: Investigation of PhD Students’ Motivation Profiles and their Impact on the Doctoral Completion Process (2021), by Mikael De Clercq, et. al, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Re-Envisioning Doctoral Mentorship in the United States: A Power-Conscious Review of the Literature (2021), by Genia M. Bettencourt, Rachel E. Friedensen, & Megan L. Bartlett, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Racial Realities: Exploring the Experiences of Black Male Doctoral Candidates in “All but Dissertation”Status (2021), by Dr. Sharron Scott & Jennifer M. Johnson, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Re-envisioning Doctoral Mentorship in the United States: A Power-Conscious Review of the Literature (2021), by Genia M. Bettencourt, et. al, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Doctoral Candidates’ Academic Writing Output and Strategies: Navigating the Challenges of Academic Writing During the Global Health Crisis (2021), by Basil Cahusac de Caus, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Doctoral Women of Color Coping with Racism and Sexism in the Academy (2021), by Delma M. Ramos & Varaxy Yi, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} How do Departments Support their Underrepresented Minority Doctoral Students? Are they Doing Enough? (2021), by Rebecca Brent, et. al, published in the journal ASEE Peer
{NEW} Sink or Swim: The Mentoring Experiences of Latinx PhD Students with Faculty of Color (2021), by S. Santa-Ramirez, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} Growing Grit to Produce Doctoral Persistence (2021), by Melanie D.M. Hudson, et.al, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} The Socialization for Teaching: Factors Related to Teaching Career Aspirations for Doctoral Students of Color (2021), published in International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Preparing Doctoral Students to Teach in an Increasingly Virtual World: A Response to COVID-19 and Beyond (2021), by Robbie Bishop-Monroe, et. al, published in the journal Online Learning
{NEW} Facilitating a Mentoring Programme for Doctoral Students: Insights from Evidence-Based Practice (2021), by Joanna Szen-Ziemianska, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
The H.E.R.O. Within: An Examination of Psychological Capital and Intent to Graduate Among Doctoral Students (2021), by Tiffany Stange, unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of the Incarnate Word

2019-2020
{NEW} Preparing for PhD: Exploring Doctoral Students’ Preparation Strategy (2020), by Ahmad Tramrini, et. al, published in the journal Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
{NEW} Student Reflections on Doctoral Learning: Challenges and Breakthroughs (2020), by Allison Owens, et. al, published in International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} A Qualitative Case Study of All-but-Dissertation Students at Risk for Dissertation Noncompletion: A New Model for Supporting Candidates to Doctoral Completion (2020), by Janet Hanson, et. al, published in the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice
{NEW} Illuminating Social-Class Identity: The Persistence of Working-Class African-American Women Doctoral Students (2020), by Loni Crumb, et. al, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
{NEW} In Pursuit of Careers in the Professoriate or Beyond the Professoriate: What Matters to Doctoral Students when Making a Career Choice? (2020), by Gaeun Seo & HeyJin Yeo, 2020, published in International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} PhD Imposter Syndrome: Exploring Antecedents, Consequences, and Implications for Doctor Well-Being, 2020, by Anna Sverdlik, Nathan C. Hall, and Lynn McAlpine, published in International Journal of Doctoral Studies
The Development and Validation of the Distance Doctoral Program Integration Scale (2020), by Joe L. Holmes & Amanda Rockinson-Szapkiw, published in the journal Online Learning
{NEW} Growing Grit to Produce Doctoral Persistence (2020), by Melanie D.M. Hudson, et al., published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Minority Graduate Students Remain Substantially Underrepresented in Graduate Education, Particularly STEM Fields, 2020, from the Council of Graduate Studies
How Long time-to-doctorate PhD Candidates Earn their Degrees (2020), by Benjamin E. Kohl, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Kansas State University (available on request)
{NEW} Preparing Doctoral Students for the Professoriate through a Formal Preparatory Course (2019), by Mohammed S. Alkathiri & Myrna R Olson, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Role of Personal and Organizational Factors on Student Attrition from Graduate Education: A Mixed-Model Research (2019), by Hasan Yucel, et. al, published in the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, & Practice
{NEW} Mind the Gap: Transitioning from Doctoral Graduates to Early Career Faculty (2019), by Kate McCormick & Libba Willcox, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} ‘A Source of Sanity’: The Role of Social Support for Doctoral Candidates’ Belonging and Becoming (2019), published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
‘Me, a Teacher?’ Professional Role Identification and Role Activation of Psychology PhD Students (2019), by Alessa Hillbrink & Regina Jucks, published in Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
{NEW} Is Trustworthiness Important in a Doctoral Mentor? Toward a Theory of Tough Love Mentoring (2019), by Laura Roberts & Susan C Ferro-Almeida, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
Factors Affecting PhD Student Success(2019), by Sonia N. Young, et al., published in the International Journal of Exercise Science
{NEW} Does Employment During Doctoral Training Reduce the PhD Completion Rate? (2019), by Saule Bekova, published in the journal Studies in Higher Education
{NEW} Impostor Phenomenon in STEM: Occurrence, Attribution, and Identity (2019) by Devasmita Chakraverty, published in Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
Doctoral Student Experiences of Engagement of Social Media (2019), by Jessica Owens, Ph.D., doctoral dissertation from Clemson University
Doctoral Student Perspectives on Motivation and Persistence (2019), by Barbara Holmes et al., Winona State University Education Doctorate Books
{NEW} An Effective Doctoral Student Mentor Wears Many Hats and Asks Many Questions (2019), by Laura Roberts, et al., published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} Students’ Perceptions of Supervisory Qualities: What do Students want? What do they believe they receive? (2019), by Diana D. Davis, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies

2015 to 2018

Preparing Future Faculty to Assess Student Learning (2018), from the Council of Graduate Schools
{NEW} The PhD Experience: A Review of the Factors Influencing Doctoral Students’ Completion, Achievement, and Well-Being (2018), by Anna Sverdlik, Nathan C. Hall, Lynn McAlpine, Kyle Hubbard, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
{NEW} A Phenomenological Study of Attrition from a Doctoral Cohort Program: Changes in Feelings of Autonomy and Relatedness in the Dissertation Stage (2018), by Ellie M. Burns & Catherine W. Gillespie, published in theInternational Journal of Doctoral Studies
Who are the Doctoral Students Who Drop Out? Factors Associated with the Rate of Doctoral Degree Completion in Universities(2018), by Robin Wollas et al., published in the International Journal of Higher Education
Chilly Climates, Balancing Acts, and Shifting Pathways: What Happens to Women in STEM Doctoral Programs (2018), by Marilyn Cabay, et. al, published in the journal Social Sciences
Normalizing Struggle: Dimensions of Faculty Support for Doctoral Students and Implications for Persistence and Well-Being (2018), by Julie Posselt, published in the Journal of Higher Education
Doctoral Students’ Access to Non-Academic Support for Mental Health (2018), by Emma Waight & Aline Giordano, published in the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management
Tipping Points: Doctoral Students and Consideration of Departure (2018), by Collin Ruud, et. al, published in the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice
The Impact of Student Attributes and Program Characteristics on Doctoral Degree Completion (2018), by Glenn Gittings, et al., published in New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development
The Educational Pursuit: A Phenomenological Study of Attrition in the Final Stage of an Educational Doctoral Program Within a Cohort Model (2018), by Dr. Ellie Mae Burns, doctoral dissertation from Drake University
The PhD Experience: A Review of the Factors Influencing Doctoral Students’ Completion, Achievement, and Well-Being(2018), by Anna Sverdlik, et al., published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
The Doctoral Quest: Managing Variables that Impact Degree Completion (2018), by Glenn Gittings, Matt Bergman, and Kobena Osam, published in the Journal for Higher Education Management
Did Not Finish: Doctoral Attrition in Higher Education and Student Affairs, (2017), by Sarah Maddox, unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Northern Colorado (available on request)
Discovering Psychological Components of a Ph.D.: The Road to Success (2017), unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of New Mexico (available on request)
Agency, Socialization and Support: A Critical Review of Doctoral Student Attrition, by KL Rigler etal., published in the 2017 ERIC current issues digest
Personality Types and Persistence in Doctoral Students: A Mixed-Methods Study (2017), by Anique Falconer and Sue Adragna, published in Psychology and Behavioral Science International Journal
Why do Students Consider Dropping Out of Doctoral Degrees? Institutional and Personal Factors (2017), by Monsterrat Castello, published in the journal Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education Research
Did Not Finish: Doctoral Attrition in Higher Education and Student Affairs (2017), by Sarah Maddox, PhD, doctoral dissertation from the University of Northern Colorado
Exploring Early Exits: Doctoral Attrition in the Biomedical Sciences (2017), by Michelle A. Maher et. al, published in the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice
Reinventing the Humanities Ph.D. (2017), by Steven Mintz, published in Inside Higher Ed
Why do so Many Graduate Students Quit? Universities Themselves may be Contributing to Burnout (2016), by Te-Erika Patterson, published in the July 2016 issue of The Atlantic
Dimensions of the Doctoral Dissertation Advising Relationship in Counselor Education: Mentoring Expectations, Satisfaction, and Time-to-Degree (2016) by LaSonda Wells, PhD., doctoral dissertation from Western Michigan University
The Role of Department Supports on Doctoral Completion and Time-to-Degree (2016), by Enyu Zhou & Hironao Okahana, published in the Journal of College Student Retention
Doctoral Students’ Emotional Exhaustion and Intentions to Leave Academia (2016), by Kay Devine and Karen Hunter, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
Academic Capitalism and Doctoral Student Socialization: A Case Study (2016), by Pilar Mendoza, originally published in the Journal of Higher Education in 2007
Doctoral Students’ Emotional Exhaustion and Intentions to Leave Academia (2016), by Karen H. Hunter and Kay Devine, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
The Role of the Department and Discipline in Doctoral Student Attrition: Lessons from Four Departments (2016), by Chris Golde, originally published in the Journal of Higher Education in 2005
Doctoral Students’ Experiences Leading to Completion or Attrition: A Matter of Sense, Progress and Distress (2016), by Christelle Devos et al, published in the European Journal of Psychology of Education
Implications for Practice and Research from Doctoral Initiative on Minority Attrition and Completion (2016), from the Council of Graduate Schools
Exploring Student Success in a Doctoral Program: The Power of Mentorship and Research Engagement (2015), by Joshua Gisemba Bagaka’s, Irina Bransteter, Sarah Rispinto, & Natale Badillo, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
Creating a “Safe and Supportive Environment:” Mentoring and Professional Development for Recent Women Doctoral Graduates (2015), by Tamara Bertrand Jones, La’Tara Osborne-Lampkin, Shawna M. Patterson, & Danielle Joy Davis, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
Doctoral Initiative on Minority Attrition and Completion, a 2015 guide from the Council of Graduate Schools
A Grounded Theory of Persistence in a Limited-Residency Doctoral Program (2015), by Donna H. Kennedy, Steven Terrell & Michael F. Lohle, published in The Qualitative Report

2007 to 2014

Are Dropout and Degree Completion in Doctoral Study Significantly Dependent on Type of Financial Support and Field of Research? (2014), by Margaux van der Haert et al., published in the journal Studies in Higher Education
Understanding Race in Doctoral Student Socialization (2014), by Pamela Petrease Felder, Howard C. Stevenson, and Marybeth Gasman, published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies
PhD Attrition: How Much is Too Much? (2013), by Leonard Cassuto, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education
Postponement in the Completion of the Final Dissertation: An Underexplored Dimension of Achievement in Higher Education (2013), by Serge Dupont, et. al, published in the European Journal of Psychology of Education
Timely Doctoral Completion Rates in Five Fields: A Two-Part Study (2013), by Dr. Angela Miller, doctoral dissertation from the University of South Florida
Attrition in Humanities Doctorate Programs (2012), from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Supporting Humanities Doctoral Student Success: A Collaborative Project Between Cornell University Library and Columbia University Libraries (2011), by Gabriela Castro Gessner, Damon E. Jaggars, Jennifer Rutner, and Kornelia Tancheva, from the Council of Library and Information Resources
The Crucial Issue of Doctoral Non-Completion(2007), from the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)

Historical References in Which I Participated
(Historical reference) Re-Envisioning the PhD: A Project and Conference at the University of Washington (2000), participants included Dr. Jody Nyquist (Dean of Graduate Studies), Scott Kerlin, and Bobbi Kerlin
(Historical reference) Breaking the Silence: Toward a Theory of Women’s Doctoral Persistence (1997), by Roberta-Anne Kerlin, unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Victoria, BC Canada
(Historical reference) Hidden Rules, Secret Agendas: Challenges Facing Contemporary Women Doctoral Students (1996), by Bobbi Smith, paper presented to the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, April 1996 (Scott Kerlin, symposium chair, session on “Survival of the Fittest” in doctoral education)
(Historical reference) Pursuit of the PhD: ‘Survival of the Fittest’, or is it Time for a New Approach? (1996), by Scott Kerlin, published in the Education Policy Analysis Archives, based on a paper presented to the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, April 1995 (Scott Kerlin, symposium chair, session on “Survival of the Fittest” in doctoral education)
(Historical reference) Surviving the Doctoral Years: Critical Perspectives (1996), by Scott Kerlin, published in the Education Policy Analysis Archives, based on a paper presented to the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, April 1996 (Scott Kerlin, symposium chair, session on “Survival of the Fittest” in doctoral education)
(Historical Reference) Who Is Responsible for Graduate Student Attrition–The Individual or the Institution? (1996) by Barbara E. Lovitts, paper presented to the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, April 1996
(Historical reference) For Richer, for Poorer: Faculty Morale in Periods of Austerity and Retrenchment (1993), by Scott Kerlin and Diane Dunlap, published in the Journal of Higher Education. This article was excerpted from Scott’s 1992 dissertation The Fiscal Crisis of the American Public Research University and Its Impact on Faculty (University of Oregon)

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