Retention Research Outcomes

​The cornerstone of DePaul's approach to improving retention has been researching patterns of undergraduate student persistence, attrition and degree completion at DePaul. This research allows DePaul to use data to define and drive decisions that affect student retention.

Preliminary research has illustrated the primacy of first-year academic success to long-term degree completion. In addition, research findings have offered insight into how factors such as parental educational attainment, family income and racial/ethnic identity interact in explaining rates of student attrition, and the degree to which financial aid can be an effective mechanism for improving degree completion rates.

For more about significant findings and outcomes from DePaul’s retention research, follow the links below:

• First-Year Academic Performance
• Proportion of Cohort with High Performance
• Outcomes for Students at Higher Risk
• Academic Probation and Retention

For more information about this research, contact Michelle Austin​.

For general data and research about DePaul, visit DePaul's Institutional Research and Market Analytics website.