Abstract
Attaining an undergraduate college degree contributes to increased employment opportunities and greater compensation, yet many students who enroll fail to graduate within six years, including a growing number of online students. One promising model for increasing retention is cohort education, in which students take multiple courses together as a group. This study performed a quantitative data analysis to examine the relationship between membership in an online cohort major and student engagement of baccalaureate students, and between membership in an online cohort major and degree completion of baccalaureate students. The goal was to generate empirical findings to inform strategies for improving online baccalaureate degree completion rates. The study population included students at a Midwestern university that offers online programs in cohort and non-cohort formats. Data included student record data and responses to the National Survey of Student Engagement. Study results showed a significant positive relationship between membership in an online cohort major and baccalaureate degree completion. However, there was an insignificant correlation between membership in an online cohort and student engagement as measured by National Student Engagement Survey responses of online students at the university. The study results suggest that higher education leaders seeking to improve baccalaureate graduation rates may benefit from offering online courses in a cohort format.|Keywords: Baccalaureate degree completion, academic cohort, online students, student engagement.