A Comparison of Supervised Machine Learning Models

• Goal: To explore supervised machine learning models through education data

  • Research Question: Can a supervised machine learning model classify degree-granting postsecondary institutions as being located in the Northeast vs. in the West?

    • Leveraged domain knowledge of regional differences so that project focus could be on learning about supervised machine learning.

• Data

  • Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

    • Institutional characteristics (categorical)

    • Enrolled student characteristics (continuous)

  • College Scorecard (US Department of Education)

    • Financial aid applicant characteristics

  • 1,100+ institutions; 27 predictor variables