Pictured: Yale University
When high school juniors and seniors begin to search for the college they envision attending in the next year or so, they are subjected into choosing their final decisions based on the following details:
- Location- City or Suburban
- Size- Heavy populated university, small college, or in between
- Major- Strength of program at that college
- Cost- How much they are being offered
- Parent influence- where parents want their children to attend
One factor that parents, guidance counselors, and universities tend to leave out when assisting the young adults search for their “dream college” is retention rates. Retention rates reveal the percentage of students that remain at the university after their freshman experience. During college visits, on websites, and on handouts/brochures, top-notch factors about the university will be revealed: exciting extracurricular activities, opportunities on campus, athletic statistics, and notable alumni. Students need to be aware that several universities sugarcoat these school aspects to make them believe that the school will provide for them what they need to succeed in life for the price that the institution charges. Students who fall for this trap end up entering, catch onto this hoax by two semesters and continue their studies elsewhere. In fact, the current percentage of students who do not continue at the college they started at as a freshman is over 1/3 that enter!
Do not fear! There are quite a few schools in America that once you enter you will never want to leave. Students have found overall satisfaction with the following university from location, teachers/department, and campus life for the price!
Top 5 Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates:
Ranked by US News College Rankings
1. Columbia University - 99%
2. Yale University- 99%
3. Brown University- 98%
4. California Institute of Technology- 98%
5. Dartmouth College- 98%
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology- 98%
7. Princeton University- 98%
8. Stanford University- 98%
9. University of Chicago- 98%
10. University of Notre Dame- 98%
The question rises as to who is to receive credit for these colleges to remain so luring to students? Is it the board of trustee’s that accurately run the university? Can it be the professors that inspire the young adults to stay around? Or how about give some credentials for the strength of the students? Nirali Sampat, a sophomore Biochemical Engineering major explains that “the retention rate is more a function of the type of student that goes here rather than being related to a specific quality about the university.” This would infer that every student at any college enrolls fully intending to complete their degree, but students whom are at these top retention rate universities seem better able to embrace challenges that arise with a college education and overcome them instead of shying away from difficulties and dropping out.
Sampat also shared why a prospective student may want to attend her university. “Columbia is a fantastic place to go to college because of the huge number of professional opportunities offered in NYC before and after graduation, and because of the exceedingly large number of research opportunities available to undergrads” Junior Rachel Boggs, a Political Science Major at the University of Notre Dame also provides insight about her school. “One thing I love about my school is that every time I walk onto campus, I feel a sense of community. Notre Dame is such a close-knit family that several students remain on campus all four years! There is no place like Notre Dame- it’s the perfect university to be at.”
Things are starting to change amongst other schools that may have low retention rates- such as actually putting the percentage out there. In Veronica McKinney’s book “Staying of Leaving the Course- Non Completion and Retention of mature students in further and higher education” she comments that “institutions are now more acquired to monitor retention rates and collect more student data more carefully and more detailed in the past” This is an important factor because if student know ahead of the time what the percentage is (good or bad) they still may attend regardless.
A piece of advice is to ask around! You want to feel comfortable, be educated, and have an overall good college experience without having to transfer. Most schools now have class pages on social mediums like Facebook and Twitter where students can leave comments. When students transfer they fear losing credits, having to make new friends, and comparing their former environment. Instead of having to be stressed- prepare in advance. Do intensive research when searching for your college of interest to make your first choice your good choice!
i don't think that the problem of retention will ever truly be solved. the schools on this list are all either ivy league, or at least in the top 25. these schools accept above average students who are 100% sure they will obtain a bachelor's degree. the students at these institutions are presented with networks and resources that are simply unimaginable at other institutions across the country, two reasons that make it ridiculous to consider leaving. most of these students are also not faced with financial troubles. sure, the idea that all schools should have a tremendous retention rate sounds great, but I do believe that unless the government is willing to allot more money toward higher education, all schools were to emulate the ones listed above (simply unrealistic) or students choosing not to attend these top tier universities do more research before making the final decision, not much can come of the statistics at hand. thought i'd share :) this topic makes me want to go blog now too.
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