The why behind their leaving : a look at student retention

Colleges faced with the threat of declining enrollments are examining options to continue their existence. An option which has always existed, but has frequently been overlooked, is the retention of currently enrolled students. As the quest for students becomes more critical, the option of retention becomes more obvious. It is apparent why retention of students is being given serious consideration at college campuses across the country. Tinto (1987) estimated that of 2.8 million students who entered college in 1986 as freshmen, over 1.6 million (57%) would leave their initial college without completing a degree. Of those nonpersisters, approximately 1.2 million (75%) would never return to complete a college degree