What Works in Student Retention - Two-Year Public Colleges

Oct 9, 2026

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Report examining how campus practices influence college student retention and degree completion at two-year public colleges, based on ACT’s multi-year research tradition. It reviews prior studies, including national surveys on academic advising practices and the major “What Works in Student Retention” projects conducted with partner organizations. Summarized findings highlight key action program areas such as academic support, goal clarification, and student involvement, alongside institutional data on dropout and graduation rates.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction: Two-Year Public Colleges

Six National Surveys on Academic Advising Practices

What Works in Student Retention (1980)

ACT Dropout and Graduation Rate Tables (1983-2003)

What Works in Student Retention (1987)

WhatWorks in Student Retention? Two-Year Public Colleges | | | --- | | | | | | | | | | | Wesley R. Habley Randy McClanahan A c k n ow ledg me nt s It has been quite some time since ACT has engaged in a comprehensive study of college student retention practices. This study would not have been possible however, had it not been for the earlier efforts of ACT staff members Lee Noel and Susan Cowart who conducted “What Works in Student Retention” studies and published results in 1980 and 1987, respectively. And, this study could not have been completed without the continuing support of Jon Erickson, ACT Vice President of Educational Services. No study of this magnitude could be complete without efforts of a multitalented team. The staff of ACT’s Survey Research Area, directed by Michael Valiga, was the backbone of this team. This team was supportive, creative, thorough, and responsive. Specific thanks go to the following people: • Peggy Loveless provided statistical analysis and responded promptly to requests for just one more data run. • Vi Bitterman managed a multilevel, complex mailing and return strategy. • Elizabeth McBride handled data entry and far more. Elizabeth had the magical ability to massage, manipulate, and mine the database to produce a never-ending stream of charts and tables. • Randy McClanahan (co-author) served all phases ofthis study. She was instrumental in the design of the survey. She supervised the data collection. She wrote the review of the literature and assembled the bibliography. She critiqued the manuscript mercilessly, and necessarily. In an undertaking as major as this survey, one could simply not ask for a better colleague. Deb Anderson is responsible for the production of the final manuscript. Whether interpreting my scribbled notes, gently suggesting changes that should have been obvious, adjusting the size and or tables, and producing unknown number of drafts, Deb has been unflappable and unerring. Deb has always been, and continues to be, my right arm. Finally, I acknowledge the readers of this report, particularly those who recognize that there is much at stake if college students are to be successful. If this report, in some small way, provides the stimulus and creates a resolve to for you to enhance campus retention practices, then it will have served its purpose. Wesley R. Habley, ACT What Works In Student Retention?– Two-Year Public Colleges 2 © 2004 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. INTRODUCTION: Two-Year Public Colleges This report reflects ACT’s three-decade commitment to assist colleges and universities to better understand the impact of campus practices on college student retention and degree completion. During that time ACT has conducted many research projects that demonstrate that commitment. Below are selected examples of this effort. Six National Surveys on Academic Advising Practices ACT believes that academic advising plays a pivotal role in student retention. That belief is clearly borne out by the findings ofthe survey discussed in this report. Beginning in 1979 ACT, in collaboration with the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), has conducted six national studies of campus practices in academic advising. The latest of these, The Status of Academic Advising: Findings from the ACT Sixth National Survey, is published in the NACADA monograph series. That monograph may be ordered through the NACADA website: [www.nacada.ksu.edu](www.nacada.ksu.edu) What Works in Student Retention (1980) The first What Works in Student Retention study (Beal and Noel, 1980) was a joint project of ACT and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) . Staff of NCHEMS and ACT developed and piloted the survey. In the complete study, surveys were sent to 2,459 two-year and four-year colleges with a response rate of 40.2% . As a part of this study, the authors collected information about 17 student characteristics and 10 in

FAQs

What is the report’s purpose regarding student retention?

The report reflects ACT’s commitment to help colleges understand how campus practices affect student retention and degree completion, particularly for two-year public colleges.

Which academic advising research does the report reference?

It cites six national studies of campus practices in academic advising, including the latest monograph published in the NACADA series.

What critical action program areas are identified in the 1980 study?

The report highlights academic stimulation and assistance, personal future building, and involvement experiences as critical to retention.

Oct 9, 2026

Upload by Blitz