Transforming Educational Outcomes: The Role of Exito Program in Bridging the College Graduation Gap for Historically Underserved Students

Background and Purpose: Educational attainment is a determinant of social mobility and is a prerequisite for professional employment in many health and science careers. Students from minoritized racial and ethnic groups face multiple systemic and structural barriers in higher education and obtain college degrees in health and science disciplines at lower rates than their white counterparts. As a collaborative, cross-institutional, NIH-funded initiative to promote equity and diversity in the biomedical workforce, the BUILD EXITO project implemented a comprehensive, developmentally-sequenced research training program supporting undergraduates historically underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce due to socioeconomic status, disability, or racial/ethnic identity. BUILD EXITO offered a 3-year program model featuring enhanced curricula, multi-faceted mentoring, meaningful long-term research internships, financial supports, and wrap-around services addressing psychological, social, cultural, and financial barriers hindering educational success. This study employed a quasi-experimental design to assess the impact of BUILD EXITO on four-year degree completion.

Methods: The study examined the four-year graduation rate of participants in BUILD EXITO (EXITO: n=303) relative to students in two comparison groups: students who applied but were not accepted into the program (non-accepted: n=301); and non-participating students in the same biomedical academic majors as EXITO scholars during the same time period (biomedical: n=16,993). Using university student records, an outcome variable indicated completion of a degree within four years of enrolling at the primary university. Based on university records and application data for the EXITO program, student backgrounds and four-year graduation rates were compared using crosstabs. A logistic analysis was conducted to evaluate the relations between the likelihood of four-year graduation and student group membership and demographic characteristics (age, gender, race/ethnicity, first generation).

Results: EXITO scholars were significantly more likely than non-accepted and biomedical comparison students to be BIPOC students (70%_vs_48%_40%), first-generation college students (54%_36%_38%), and female students (71%_74%_55%). Consistent with program aims, EXITO scholars were significantly more likely than non-accepted students to receive financial aid (79%_vs_62%), to have foster care experience (10%_vs_4%), or other social disadvantage (64%_vs_36%).

Nevertheless, EXITO scholars were significantly more likely to graduate in four years than non-accepted and biomedical comparison students (62%_51%_43%, χ²(2, N=17,597)=52.72, p<.001). Logistic regression results indicate that EXITO scholars were significantly more likely to graduate in four years than non-accepted (slope =.53, Wald χ²statistic=10.04, Exp(В)=2.27, p<.01) and biomedical comparison students (slope=.86, Wald χ²statistic=49.21, Exp(В)= 1.76, p<.001), while BIPOC students, male, younger, and first-generation college students were significantly less likely to graduate.

Conclusions and Implications: The quasi-experimental findings indicate that a transformative program focusing on students historically excluded from biomedical disciplines can help address academic gaps and promote diversity in the workforce. Despite facing more systemic and structural barriers, BUILD EXITO scholars excelled and were more likely to graduate in four years than their non-accepted and biomedical comparison students. Although not all students are expected to graduate in four years, timely degree completion confers tangible economic benefits by lowering student debt and initiating higher earning power. Programs like EXITO can mitigate historic educational and economic disparities and provide greater career opportunity.