Progress of Rural and Urban Students Entering Iowa State University, Fall 1955

Excerpt from the report Summary: This report presents results of a study of the 2,200 students entering college for the first time who enrolled at Iowa State University in the fall of 1955. Data are taken from the university records of these students from the time of entrance through the fall quarter, 1959. Two-fifths of the students were from rural areas and males outnumbered females 3 to 1. Most of the students came to college directly from high school. However, 15 percent had delayed at least one year after high school graduation before entering college. Rural students rated slightly above their urban classmates on their high school grade-point average and on their percentile rank in high school graduating class. However, they fell considerably below the urban students in the college entrance examination. One-fifth of the students entered college with a deficiency in required high school credits or were allowed to enter only on probation because of inadequacies in their high school performance. The proportion of rural students entering with deficiencies was twice as high as the proportion of urban students. However, urban students had a slightly higher proportion entering on probation.