Student Retention Rate

Colleges and Universities A-Z Loyola University - New Orleans
1

<p>I was noticing that Loyola's student retention rate of 78% is relatively low. Anybody have any guesses as to why. Here are the retention rates of other schools my son has been accepted at or waiting on decisions.</p>

<p>Willamette 87%
Oregon State 82%
Auburn 86%
Univ. of Denver 86%</p>

2

<p>Another way to look at it is that 1 out of every 4.5 freshman do not return for their sophomore year. </p>

<p>It seems to indicate a certain level of dissatisfaction with the school or the kids aren’t able to handle the academic load. Maybe the 78% retention rate is not accurate. It just seems odd for a school that appears to have a bunch of well-rounded, happy students.</p>

<p>Edit: Okay, I found another source that indicates a retention rate of 82%. That’s a bit better.</p>

<p>See here: <a href=“http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/sites/academicaffairs.loyno.edu/files/cohort%20composite_09302010_0.pdf[/url]”>http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/sites/academicaffairs.loyno.edu/files/cohort%20composite_09302010_0.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Hello Jeeves914, </p>

<p>I am the Retention and Student Success Coordinator at Loyola University New Orleans. Last year, our retention rate from the first year to the second year was 82%, as you found on our Institutional Research website. We aim to improve our rates each year. </p>

<p>Retention rates reflect the number of students who are continuously enrolled from one year to the next. Students may chose not to reenroll for a number of reasons, including personal (such as a leave of absence), academic, financial, or other options (such as full-time internships or study abroad). This is true of any institution, not only Loyola. </p>

<p>My position is an example of Loyola’s commitment to retention and student persistence. I started here in July, and the position was created a year and a half ago. My job is to help first-year students and their families as they transition to college life. I regularly meet with students, especially first-years, who need academic or personal support, including organizational skills, time management, and mentoring. I routinely communicate with parents, and parents share feedback with me. This fall, I launched a new peer mentoring program that couples first-years with upperclassmen, and utilizes the city of New Orleans. I partner with faculty, deans, Student Affairs, and the Academic Resource Center to ensure we support all Loyola students. The faculty and staff at Loyola are committed to retaining and graduating our students. </p>

<p>If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly at earainey [at] loyno [dot] edu.</p>

4

<p>earainey,</p>

<p>Thank you for your detailed response. I am glad Loyola takes student retention seriously and like the idea of the peer mentoring program.</p>