A Quantile Regression Approach to Understanding Socioeconomic and Environmental Predictors of Students’ Academic Outcomes in Plateau State
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70882/josrar.2026.v3i3.191Keywords:
Socioeconomic status, Environmental quality, Quantile regression, Academic achievement, Plateau StateAbstract
This study applies a quantile regression framework to examine how socioeconomic and environmental factors shape academic outcomes among a sample of undergraduate students across five tertiary institutions in Plateau State, Nigeria. While previous studies have relied predominantly on mean-based analyses that do not account for the heterogeneity in student achievement, this study extends the literature by examining how predictor effects vary across the full distribution of cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Anchored in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Bourdieu’s theory of capital, the analysis integrates multidimensional indicators of socioeconomic status, institutional environment, accommodation conditions, academic engagement, and demographic factors. Results reveal substantial distributional asymmetries in the determinants of academic performance. Study hours, environmental quality, and socioeconomic status exhibit significant but varying effects across quantiles, indicating that students at different achievement levels respond differently to similar conditions. Environmental qualities that capture facilities, digital access, hostel adequacy, and security exert a consistent positive influence across all quantiles, with stronger effects among high achievers. On the other hand, socioeconomic disadvantage most strongly constrains performance at the lower tail of the CGPA distribution. Accommodation type and institutional affiliation also show differentiated impacts, particularly among low achievers, whereas gender and age display no meaningful effects. These findings highlight the inadequacy of uniform academic policies and show the need for separate interventions tailored to students’ positions in the achievement distribution. The study contributes methodologically by demonstrating the utility of quantile regression for Nigerian higher-education research and offers evidence-based guidance for institutional reforms aimed at enhancing educational equity and excellence.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Segun Peter Alade, Wazahada Pius Lkama, Olukemi Dayok (Author)
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