#  Measuring Retention and Persistence: Using Data to Support Postsecondary Students 

 



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 **Date:** 09/15/2026 

 

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Student retention efforts are an essential connection between access and completing a degree, yet traditional metrics–such as first-year retention and graduation rates–don’t allow institutions to intervene early when issues arise. This paper offers a practical guide for measuring student retention and persistence at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including guidance on selecting meaningful success metrics and stories of implementation from four institutions.



 

 

 Filed under:- [ Toolkits ](/resource-categories/toolkits)
 
 See also:- [ Postsecondary Success ](/resource-topic-category/postsecondary-success)
- [ 2026 ](/year/2026)