A Statistical Study of Student Academic Performance at Obafemi Awolowo University Using GPA Data

Academic performance monitoring through grade point average analysis provides essential data for institutional quality assurance, curriculum evaluation, and student support programme design in Nigerian universities. This study statistically analyses factors associated with academic performance among undergraduate students at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, South West Nigeria. A stratified random sample of 300 students from five faculties provided GPA records alongside self-reported data on study hours, accommodation type, part-time employment, parental educational attainment, and secondary school entry score. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression were employed. The mean cumulative GPA was 3.21 out of 5.00 with a standard deviation of 0.68. Study hours per week (r = 0.52, p < 0.001) and secondary school entry score (r = 0.44, p < 0.001) were the strongest individual correlates of GPA. Multiple regression explained 58 percent of GPA variance. Part-time employment was negatively associated with GPA (beta = -0.21, p = 0.008), while on-campus accommodation was positively associated (beta = 0.18, p = 0.014). Faculty-level GPA differences were statistically significant by ANOVA (F = 7.43, p < 0.001), with Science faculty recording the highest mean GPA. The study recommends OAU expand student financial support to reduce part-time employment necessity and prioritise on-campus accommodation for academically at-risk students. Keywords: academic performance, GPA, regression analysis, OAU Ile-Ife, undergraduate statistics