As you make your way from college to college, you’ll find that admission counselors are really just a bunch of extroverted statisticians who missed their calling. We have stats for everything: student to faculty ratios, test score mid-ranges, student demographic averages. In short, if we can attach a number to it, we probably have. Often times, these numbers are offered out of context, so I’d like to take a moment to contextualize one of the most oft reported statistics by admission counselors: the freshman (or first-year) retention rate.
Studies show that if a college is going to lose students, the greatest amount of attrition is going to happen between the first and second year. So the first-year retention rate is meant to be indicative of students’ satisfaction with their college choice; however, there’s a little more to it than just that.
At the time of this writing, Centre’s first-year retention rate is right around 95% for 2010. We’re really proud of that number, and for good reason. According to ACT Education Services (the same people who make the test) the average first-year retention rate for private schools is 73%. So, Centre performs well above the national average.
This shouldn’t be a huge surprise, though. Generally, the more selective the institution, the higher its first-year retention rate will be. ACT breaks colleges down into five categories: highly selective, selective, traditional, liberal, and open. Centre qualifies as a highly selective school, which means the majority of our admitted students come from the top-10% of their high school class. For that group, the average first-year retention rate is 92.3%.
Aside from selectivity, three things generally tend to affect this number in varying degrees from institution to institution.
1.) AFFORDABILITY: It’s not uncommon for a student’s family to feel the financial pinch of a college education, especially a private one. Colleges strive to make their education affordable through a range of financial aid packages, but sometimes families overestimate their ability to afford certain schools.
2.) PREPARATION: If a student feels he or she is falling behind in their classes, chances are they weren’t as prepared as they should have been in high school. It takes a bright (and motivated) student to succeed at a college like Centre. So, it’s important that high schools both teach the material and demand the work ethic a student needs to make it past the first year.
3.) ENGAGEMENT: This is where the admission hype machine is tested against the actual experience. Does a college deliver on the promises made in brochures, on tours, and by admission counselors? If the answer is no, then you’re likely to see students making their way towards the exit signs.
Of course there are a range of other factors that may affect a student’s decision to jump ship: homesickness, weather, family issues, so forth and so on, but these three tend to be the most common.
Curious how your top schools stack up? Take a look at U-CAN (University and College Accountability Network). Type in the name of your prospective college and hit search. You’ll find the statistic under “Freshmen Returning For Sophomore Year.”
