Family diversity: A quantitative study of the impact of divorce and family structure on the academic performance of college students

The overall scope of the study was to compare the academic performance of students from divorced and intact families and to investigate the impact of family structure on the academic performance of college students as measured by college GPA and the frequency of failing a college course. Research indicates that divorce negatively impacts the academic performance of children; however, few studies investigate the affects of divorce and family structure on the academic success of college students. Eighty-eight students from a small liberal arts college in Hawaii were surveyed. This study found that college students whose parents had divorced were more likely, than students from intact families, to fail a college course. Parental divorce and family structure did not significantly impact students' college grade point average. Specific interventions that lead to a decrease in the effects of divorce on college students' academic performance may consequently lead to a decrease in the rate of college students dropping out of college due to poor academic functioning.