Comparison of the academic success rate of GED and traditional high school graduates in Maryland community colleges

This study was designed to determine if there is any significant difference in the rate of academic success of traditional high school graduates and GED holders in a Maryland Community College. Similar studies have measured academic success using variables, such as persistence and graduation rates, which are better suited to studying academic success in four year colleges.

Because graduation rates in community colleges are low, it might be more accurate to assume that community college students matriculate for reasons other than transfer or the attainment of a degree. Therefore, the ratio of course attempted to courses completed and academic good standing were used to define and measure academic success.

It is logical to assume that a student intends to complete a course if he/she registers and pays for said course. It is also reasonable to define academic success in terms of a student's eligibility to enroll in subsequent classes because he/she has maintained at least a 2.0 grade point average in the courses he/she has previously taken.