A Mixed-Methods Community College Retention Study: Who Isn’t Being Retained and Why?

Abstract

Retention rates in higher education continue to be a prevalent issue especially for community colleges and will become a bigger issue in the current climate of enrollment loss. Much literature regarding student retention focuses on broad, overarching findings, but it is important to understand institution-specific retention factors. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of students who were not retained and gain their unique perspective on the factors that contributed to their attrition. This study took place at one community college in the Great Plains region of the United States utilizing a three-tiered mixed-methods analysis. Methods included quantitative analysis, survey techniques, and narrative inquiry. The study identified factors that were both positively and negatively correlated with retention. There were trends across different groups and their reasons for leaving the college before completing their goals and the factors were often interconnected and complex.