Retention Rates Lower at Technical Colleges than Liberal Arts Colleges

Retention rates measure the percent of first-time, first-year undergraduate students who continue at the school the next year, indicating student satisfaction and the ability to handle their schools’ academic environment. The average retention rate of the top 20 liberal arts schools is 97% while that of the top 20 technical colleges is 89%. This rate is especially important at technical schools providing specialized training (usually in STEM fields) where students may be forced to drop out or transfer if they want to switch to a liberal arts major. High retention rates at these technical schools indicate strong student support, high quality of teaching, and student confidence to complete their STEM degree. Among technical schools, the Open Educational Database dataset placed Georgia Institute of Technology and Worcester Polytechnic Institute at the top of the list.