Investigating the Role of Socioeconomic Factors on CS1 Performance

Computer Science (CS) students at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have experienced academic probation rates higher than 50%. Particularly concerning, statistical analysis showed that students who self-identified as belonging to an underrepresented group (URG) experienced an even higher probation rate. Moreover, students who entered academic probation were twice as likely to leave the CS program. We designed and conducted a comprehensive survey involving 757 CS1 students at UCI to delve further into their past experiences, challenges, and perspectives to gain further insights into the factors contributing to these trends. Specifically, we studied (1) the role of socioeconomic factors such as mental health, academic preparedness, and computing participation in CS students' success, (2) to what extent these factors affect underrepresented group, first-generation, and female students, and (3) experiences that distinguish the most impacted minority groups. Our findings reveal significant correlations between underperformance in CS1 and socioeconomic factors, including satisfaction with course completion regardless of grade, mental health challenges, and insufficient pre-college math preparation. Many of these factors had strong associations with all minority groups. Moreover, our data shows that most URG students enter the program with weaker math preparation than their peers, often don't have prior programming experience, and once enrolled, they have limited interactions within the CS community. These insights highlight the urgency of redesigning academic support practices to support students with diverse backgrounds and experiences. There is a growing need to implement tailored interventions and support mechanisms for CS students, focusing on addressing the disparities in preparation, perspectives, and experiences. Our findings highlight the pressing need to reevaluate current academic support practices and provide a foundation for developing targeted support programs to guide struggling students toward greater success in CS.