Is Working in College Worth It? How Hours on the Job Affect Postsecondary Outcomes
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| Title: | Is Working in College Worth It? How Hours on the Job Affect Postsecondary Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Avery M. D. Davis (ORCID |
| Source: | Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 2025 47(2):329-354. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 26 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Student Employment, Working Hours, Grades (Scholastic), College Credits, Academic Persistence, Stopouts, Dropouts, Undergraduate Students, Academic Achievement, Low Income Students, Student Loan Programs, Federal Aid, Grants, First Generation College Students |
| Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: | Pell Grant Program |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (NCES) |
| DOI: | 10.3102/01623737231210243 |
| ISSN: | 0162-3737 1935-1062 |
| Abstract: | Many students work during college to offset rising costs, but significant time on the job affects postsecondary outcomes. Analyzing the High School Longitudinal Study (N = 4,418), this article estimates the effects of hours worked on grades, credits earned, persistence, stopping out (i.e., unenrolling for 5 months before reenrolling), and dropping out. The polynomial regression analysis shows that after adjusting for background characteristics, prior academic achievement, institution types, and family obligations, "traditional" undergraduate students begin seeing deleterious effects at 20 hours, which becomes even more severe for those working 28+ hours (and the worst for Pell Grant recipients working long hours). While some work was good for students, on average, financial and family circumstances help explain the curvilinear relationships. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1471329 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Many students work during college to offset rising costs, but significant time on the job affects postsecondary outcomes. Analyzing the High School Longitudinal Study (N = 4,418), this article estimates the effects of hours worked on grades, credits earned, persistence, stopping out (i.e., unenrolling for 5 months before reenrolling), and dropping out. The polynomial regression analysis shows that after adjusting for background characteristics, prior academic achievement, institution types, and family obligations, "traditional" undergraduate students begin seeing deleterious effects at 20 hours, which becomes even more severe for those working 28+ hours (and the worst for Pell Grant recipients working long hours). While some work was good for students, on average, financial and family circumstances help explain the curvilinear relationships. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0162-3737 1935-1062 |
| DOI: | 10.3102/01623737231210243 |
