College Student Retention: Theoretical Considerations Based on Data From a Racially Diverse Institution

• In Event: Student and Institutional Contexts

Abstract

Despite the current emphasis on college completion, there is limited information on how long-held theories of student retention apply to today’s underrepresented minority students. This study sought to validate Tinto’s model of retention (1993; 2006) and Braxton and colleagues’ revisions (2005; 2013), and to examine the applicability of the theoretical model to students of different racial backgrounds. The study used a sample of racially diverse full-time undergraduate students at a research-extensive university in the Southeast. The results confirmed that academic and social dimensions contribute to students’ integration in college, and that the dimensions work differently in the retention of students of different racial backgrounds.

Authors

• Yonghong Jade Xu, The University of Memphis

• Karen Webber, University of Georgia