Determinant Factors of Academic Achievement of University of Atacama Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the factors related to academic performance for the 2010-2011 academic year, in students of first year of Social Work, Engineering, Law and Humanities of the University of Atacama, for a total of 258 students. This work has been divided into two parts. In the first part, we decided to use the multiple regression model with cross-sectional data to determine the predictors variables of academic performance. In the second stage, we considered equally important to estimate the variables that affect the probability of improving student achievement using Logistic Regression Model. After the analysis, the results have shown that the variables such as: the student's gender, work, compliance towards the major, and the grades in the math test and verbal aptitude test, were statistically significant. In other words, that they might have a positive effect on the student academic achievement.