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College Retention Rates: A Reflection of Student Success and Satisfaction

Writer's picture: Vicki PetersenVicki Petersen

Updated: Nov 3, 2024


When researching colleges, applicants will often come across the school's retention rate statistic, which with all the other data being thrown around, can easily be overlooked. Let's discuss why we should take note of this stat. There are two terms related to this concept. Student persistence refers to the percentage of students who return to college for a 2nd year, regardless of where they attend. This is measured as an overall calculation for the nation. Using data from students who entered college in fall 2022, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported a persistence rate of 76.5 percent nationwide.


 Retention rate, on the other hand, measures the return rate at an individual college. On average, 23 percent of students do not progress from the first to the second year. An additional 10 percent choose not to continue from the second to the third year, totaling a 33 percent drop-off over the first three years.

 

The factors involved in whether a student chooses to return to campus include academic (they don't make the grades to stay), financial (cannot afford to stay), personal (mental health or other medical reasons, or family commitments), and disengagement with the college experience. While colleges cannot control personal factors in the lives of their students, or to an extent the financial factors, academic and engagement issues are top of mind for colleges when trying to improve their outcomes.

 

Ideally, colleges would attempt to admit students who have shown the propensity to do the work the college demands, but this varies by school type. Selective colleges often have higher retention rates because they require a stronger high school academic record for admission, while many of our guaranteed admission state schools (with relatively low GPA requirements) are more likely to admit students who may or may not have the academic foundation or work ethic to meet the college's standards. It's important to acknowledge this divide when judging a college on its retention rate.

That leaves us with students who choose not to return for disengagement reasons, or feeling the school is not the right fit. Much of this is dependent on the student's own efforts to engage. Students who get involved in their campus through the variety of activities they all offer, and those who make an effort to connect with their professors, are amongst the most satisfied and have the most positive memories once they graduate. But removing that factor from the equation, is the school's overall culture one where the student feels valued and supported? Do faculty foster a feeling of support and encouragement? Do students feel safe? Do they feel like they belong to a community?

 

When looking at a school's retention rate, we must keep all of these factors in mind, but when comparing two schools in a similar category (ie. two large public universities with similar admission requirements) if one has a significantly higher retention rate, we might assume they are succeeding on the culture front.

 

To prevent the possibility of finding themselves at a school that doesn't feel right, prospective students should identify what kind of culture they are looking for during the exploration process and add that to their criteria. While the importance of visiting campus cannot be overstated, campus culture can also be gleaned from following their social media, especially their YouTube page.

 

When doing their research, students are encouraged to seek out the school's retention rate, and should consider these factors when making judgement. Then they should do their own research on whether the school is right for them, regardless of the retention statistic.

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