Admission and Graduation Trends in Universities: The Case of Daystar University from 2010 to 2016

Abstract

This study looked at the gender dynamics, admission and graduation trends in Daystar University from 2010 to 2016. The study was anchored on choice theory. The descriptive research design was used for the study. The targeted population was students and data from admissions and records department was used for the analysis. The researcher used purposive sampling techniques to pick the respondents. The purposive sampling technique is a form of non-probability sampling. The study's findings showed that most of the students at Daystar University schools, that is, from the School of Communication Language and Performing Arts, School of Business and Economics, School of Arts and Humanities and School of Human and Social Sciences were females. The only school where the majority were males was in the School of Science Engineering and Health. The study results also found that the university had an upward admission trend from 2011 to 2014. However, a slight drop was experienced in 2015. The overall graduation of the students at the university decreased from 2011 to 2016. The findings indicated that females were more than males in terms of enrolments in the university. The findings also showed that the graduation of the students had been decreasing. From the findings, the arising recommendations included the need for the management of the university to examine why the number of males admissions is less compared to females. The university management should also review the programmes being offered from time to time, which might solve the challenge of gender inequality in the university. It is recommended that the university should keep an eye on admission figures in the coming years to establish whether the admission drop in 2015 was an emerging trend or perhaps was explainable for other reasons. Further, it was recommended that the university should examine the causes of declining graduation trend.

Keywords: Gender, admission trends, graduation trends, Daystar University