Effect of increased academic momentum on transfer rates: An application of the generalized propensity score

Several studies have reported a positive impact of increased academic momentum on transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions. This result may be due to selection bias. Using data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students dataset, I test whether taking more credits in the first year has an impact on transfer rates among bachelor's degree seeking students who begin at at community colleges. To test previous results, I estimate a dose–response function after balancing on the generalized propensity score, a relatively novel approach for estimating the effect of continuous treatments. I find that after balancing the sample on a rich set of covariates, the estimated dose–response function shows a linear relationship between credits taken and eventual transfer to a four-year college.