Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Thesis (Master's)

Department or Program

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

First Advisor

Janice M. McCabe

Second Advisor

Eric L. Ramsey

Third Advisor

Kathryn J. Lively

Abstract

Selective institutions, like Dartmouth College, offer students extensive academic opportunities and institutional support. Despite large endowments and strong alumni networks that provide holistic support for students, selective institutions still experience student drop-out and extended time-to-degree. For Dartmouth undergraduate students who matriculated in Fall 2018, the six‑year graduation rate was 96%, while only 75% graduated within four years. This gap indicates that 25% of students took longer than four years to complete their degrees and 4% had not graduated within six years. 

This thesis examines barriers to college completion at selective institutions to inform retention efforts and institutional initiatives. I use a mixed methods approach, analyzing publicly available graduation data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) with a case study of Dartmouth College using the Common Data Sets (CDS) published by the Office of Institutional Research. To understand the experiences behind these trends, I also conducted semi-structured interviews with seven Dartmouth College alumni who experienced academic actions (risk, warning, or probation) and/or completed their degrees in more than four years. 

Four themes emerged from the interviews: academic preparedness and the transition to college, non-traditional student navigation and self-advocacy, gaps and inconsistencies in institutional support, and community and belonging. These themes are analyzed using Vincent Tinto’s Model of Institutional Departure which emphasizes the role of an institution in shaping student departure or completion. 

Students at selective institutions have the ability to succeed. However, those who do not align with the dominant student profile–typically White, affluent, aged 18-22, and educated in elite secondary schools–face disproportionate challenges. 

These findings suggest that the most significant barrier to college completion at a selective institution like Dartmouth is the institution itself. An elite institutional culture manifests through hidden curriculum, complex bureaucratic processes, and an emphasis on academic rigor that can create obstacles for students. As a result, many students must compensate through additional emotional, academic, and bureaucratic labor to persevere. As long as this culture persists and remains unexamined, selective institutions are unlikely to achieve equitable college completion rates.

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