Retention, Academic Success, and Progress Among Adult, Returning Students: A Comparison of the Effects of Institutional and External Factors

Abstract

This article reports the findings of a study of the retention, academic success, and progress of 97 adult, primarily part-time students at a large Midwestern urban commuter state university. The impact of background characteristics, goals and commitments, interaction within the institution, and external factors is assessed. Drawing on the work of Tinto (1987) and Bean and Metzner (1985), the relative impact of institutional and external, environmental factors is examined. Although environmental factors had a combinrd, significant impact on academic success, interaction within the institution in the form of academic advising had the most important impact, on I-elenlion of these students.