General intelligence and a strong work ethic are the best predictors of college grades. Contrary to expectations, mathematical knowledge did not improve predictions above these two factors.

General intelligence and a strong work ethic are the best predictors of college grades

An analysis of the Project TALENT data (from the 1960s) found that general mental ability and conscientiousness were the best predictors of students’ college grade point average (GPA). Contrary to expectations, mathematical knowledge did not improve predictions above these two factors. The paper was published in Intelligence & Cognitive Abilities.

General mental ability is a broad capacity to learn, reason, solve problems, understand complex ideas, and adapt to new situations. It includes abilities such as verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, memory, abstract thinking, and processing information efficiently. It predicts how quickly and effectively people can learn new material, make decisions, and perform complex academic or work tasks. Because of this, general mental ability is one of the strongest predictors of learning, training success, and overall academic performance of students.

However, it is not the only factor determining how a student performs in college. The personality trait of conscientiousness is another important predictor because organized, disciplined, and persistent students usually complete assignments and prepare for exams more consistently. Motivation also matters because students who value their studies and believe effort matters are more likely to invest time and energy. Other factors such as prior academic achievement, the capacity for self-regulated learning and socio-economic status are associated with academic achievement in college as well.

https://icajournal.scholasticahq.com/article/154598-role-of-mental-abilities-and-conscientiousness-in-explaining-college-grades

higher work ethic people are more prone to cheating because they’re perfectionists and want to look good to their peers.

Colleges act as filters to promote conformity and compliance to ensure that only those who won’t upset the status quo succeed, for everyone else it acts as a debt trap to ensure they don’t succeed.