A Different Viewpoint on Student Retention

Watson Scott Swail

doi:10.18870/hlrc.v4i2.210

Abstract

<p>Although student retention, persistence, and graduation is a high priority for institutions and policymakers, graduation rates are not improving. Nowadays, more students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds have access to traditional higher education. However, an educational system that fails to prepare many students for higher education and the growing costs of attending college are making it more and more difficult for many students to persist and graduate. Ultimately, we might need to decide, on a policy basis, who we want to go to college, who we want to succeed, and who will pay for it.</p>

Highlights

There is good and bad news regarding student success in US institutions of higher education
The good news is that student retention, persistence, and graduation is a high priority for institutions and policymakers
I will not take the time to go through the retention and persistence data in this brief essay, as the data are well known and documented

Summary

Introduction

There is good and bad news regarding student success in US institutions of higher education. My analysis using College Board data found that tuition and fee charges have increased 23% after adjusting for inflation in the five-year period between 2008-09 and 2013-14 at four-year public institutions, 25% at two-year publics, and 11% at private, not-for-profit institutions (Baum & Ma, 2013).

Results

Conclusion