Patterns of student departure and transfer behavior: a quantitative analysis of institutional retention

Using a survey instrument coupled with institutional data ( N = 5,564), this study examined differences between persisters and non-returning students at a large private university in California. Within this institutional context, significant negative correlations were found between leaver status and undergraduate GPA ( r = −.268, p < .01) high school GPA ( r = −.099, p < .01) and SAT math scores ( r = −.036, p < .05). Further, leavers earned significantly lower undergraduate GPAs ( M = 2.43) than persisters ( M = 3.00), representing a medium effect size (Cohen's d = 0.52). Survey findings indicated that many non-returning students reported dissatisfaction with finances, with 33.8% ( n = 50) reporting they were financially unable to continue and 19.6% ( n = 29) citing reduced financial aid. These perceptions were collected from leavers and cannot be compared to persisters. Because 67.6% ( n = 100) of non-returning students transferred to another institution rather than exiting higher education entirely, the findings reflect patterns of institutional non-reenrollment rather than system-level dropout. The results provide institution-specific insight into academic, financial, and advising factors associated with non-reenrollment and may inform future research and institutional inquiry.