First-Year Student Success and Retention
Nearly one in five students who start college at a four-year institution does not return to the same institution the next fall. With enrollment pressure rising, keeping the first-year students you already have matters more than ever. Unifex combines scholarly research and your institutional data with your team to build practical solutions that help new student succeed.
First-year student retention by the numbers
82.4%
National retention rate for first-time, full-time students at four-year institutions for the fall 2024 cohort
+10.9 points
increase in national first-year retention rate from 2012 to 2024 across all institutions (58.2% → 69.1%)
16.8%
of fall 2024 first-time students left their starting institution before spring
Class 3
Class 1
Class 2
Class 3
Class 1
Keep just 10 more students each year, and generate an additional $469,880 in annual tuition revenue by year four
Class 4
Class 2
Assumes 10 additional retained students per entering class at the average published in-state tuition for public four-year institutions ($11,747), before aid and discounting. Source: U.S. News & World Report
$117,470
10 students per class
Year 1
$234,940
Class 2
Class 1
Year 2
$352,410
Class 3
Class 2
Class 1
Year 3
$469,880
Class 4
Class 3
Class 2
Class 1
Year 4
and every year after
Added tuition over the first four years
From one small improvement: 10 more first-year students retained each year.
$1.17M
Year 4+
Find out why first-year students leave, then build the supports that keep them
EVALUATION
Survey of first-year students
Measure how first-year students experience belonging, support, and academics, and identify who might be thinking about leaving.
Focus groups with students
Go deeper in small-group conversations that explain the reasons behind the survey results.
Faculty and staff interviews
Learn from the people who see where students struggle and where campus processes get in the way.
COLLABORATION
In-person workshop
Bring stakeholders together to review the findings, test ideas, and design practical next steps.
Continuous calibration
We stay with you through implementation for constant calibration and lasting impact.
implementation
Orientation sets the tone for the whole first year
Starting college means new routines, new social norms, and new academic expectations. Many first-year students struggle with the shift, and some leave before finishing the year. A well-structured orientation is where students find their footing, and research links it to student success and retention (see our research).
A strong orientation:
Connects students to support services
Financial aid, advising, and mental health services
Sets clear expectations
Academics, conduct, and campus safety
Builds early community
Peer connections and campus life from day one
How Unifex Helps
We review and strengthen your orientation and first-year experience
Online or on campus, traditional or non-traditional, first-time or transfer: we look at the whole onboarding journey.
Survey students right after orientation, then again at the end of the semester
Hear from students, faculty, and staff through focus groups and interviews
Compare your program with orientation best practices
Co-design improvements with your team and stay through implementation
The "Red Zone": The first weeks of fall are the highest-risk time for new students
Sexual assault is particularly prevalent among new college students and is tied to lower academic performance and increased risk of dropping out. At Unifex, we help you assess how prepared your campus is for the first weeks of fall and strengthen prevention, education, and support for new students.
50%+
of sexual assaults on college campuses occur during the "Red Zone" of sexual assault: between the start of fall and Thanksgiving
New students are especially vulnerable: unfamiliar with campus, new to the social scene, and still learning what resources exist.
26.4%
of undergraduate women experience rape or sexual assault during college
6.8%
of undergraduate men experience rape or sexual assault during college
32%
of students rated themselves knowledgeable about where to report sexual assault
30%
of women who experienced rape received help from a campus program or resource.
