2022 RCC Factbook
Retention Deep Dive
Developed by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, the Deep Dive series represents a specific drill-down of data in a user-friendly format to investigate what’s a priority as part of a larger strategy to strengthen our data culture, practice, and infrastructure. The Deep Dive analysis utilizes cross-section demographics to explore the various questions raised by the 2022 Factbook and support our Strategic Transformation Planning process.
Retention is the first Deep Dive topic because it is an Institutional priority to improve retention rates. It is more cost-effective to retain current RCC students than to recruit new ones. Understanding which groups have retention rates change or remain stable is a vital start to creating strategies to increase retention. By comparing each demographic with another to identify which group(s) of students are more at risk of not continuing their studies, RCC can create interventions to better assist these students.
The Deep Dive includes visuals and tables accompanied by narrative to help put the information into context for RCC stakeholders. Below are some of the key takeaways from the analysis presented in this review.
Introduction
The retention rate is based on first-time, full-time degree seeking students, minus graduates. We use first-time degree seeking students for two main reasons:
- Using the same starting point allows a fair comparison between years.
- These students are the future for the school. Low retention during the first year of enrollment cannot be made up by getting higher retention in the following years.
As presented in the 2022 RCC Factbook, RCC enrollment and retention rates have been steadily declining since 2016. The Fall-to-Fall retention rate has decreased by 7 percentage points from 68% down to 61% over the past 5 years. The decrease in RCC’s retention rate caused a loss of revenue that could impact the Institution’s ability to successfully carry out its mission. At our current Fall 2021 first-time, first year, full-time enrollment, each percentage point accounts for 10 students which is about a $90,000 loss in revenue.
There are two ways to increase enrollment:
- Enroll new students
- Retain existing students
It is more cost-effective to retain the students RCC currently has rather than recruiting new ones. Understanding which groups have retention rates change or remain stable is a vital start to creating strategies to increase retention.
It is helpful to look at the retention data in a cross-section. The College has received nearly $10 million in Title V funding over the last five years to help students at risk. These federal grants are only available to designated Hispanic Serving Institutions. By comparing each demographic with another to identify which group(s) of students are more at risk of not continuing their studies, RCC can create interventions to better assist these students.
The Introduction to the Schools (IttS) course helps prepare students for their education at RCC by introducing them to one of RCC’s four academic schools. Registering students for IttS in the first semester at RCC showed an increase in their retention and graduation rates. Even more promising was that registering students for IttS with a peer mentor in the first semester at the College further increased their retention and graduation rates.
In 2021, 43% of the first-time full-time students did not take IttS. Over 75% of the part-time students did not take IttS. Early evidence suggests that increasing the percentage of first-time, full-time, and part-time students who take IttS with a peer mentor can greatly increase the retention rate of first-time students.
Retention by Demographics Fall to Fall 2016-2021
- The Fall-to-Fall retention rate has decreased by 7 percentage points from 68% down to 61% over the past 5 years. Tracking retention overtime allows us to see when events and interventions correlate with retention in relation to how one sector of the population changes or does not change.
- During the height of the Pandemic, RCC enrollment dropped to its lowest point in over 20 years. There was a 3 percentage point drop in retention between the Fall 2019 students and the Fall 2020 students. This drop was not even across different student demographics.
- The 25 year and older population decreased by 10 percentage points during the Pandemic.
- Black students had the greatest percentage point decline from 67% in the Fall 2019 to 51% in the Fall 2020 and then the largest rebound since the Pandemic, going from 51% to 66% in the Fall 2021.
- The male and female populations changed differently during the Pandemic. Non-first-generation females dropped by 12 percentage points from a 70% retention rate in Fall 2019 to 58% in Fall 2021. As of Fall 2021, the first-generation female population had a much higher retention rate at 67%.
- The first-generation male population is just the opposite. The first-generation male retention rate (57%) is 6 percentage points lower than the male non-first-generation retention rate (63%).
- During the pandemic, female students’ retention rate dropped by 10 percentage points from 71% in the Fall 2019 to 61% in the Fall 2020.
- Overall, the female retention rate is down 8 percentage points since the pandemic while the male population is only down 1 percentage point since the pandemic.
- Pell recipients maintained a higher than average retention rate over the past 5 years. In Fall 2020/21, the rate was 69%.
- Non-Pell students have been close to a 10 percent lower retention rate than Pell students for the past five years, and the retention rate fell by 5 percent during COVID.
- Black student retention rate ended the same as it started. It is now 66%. Black students now have a higher retention rate than Hispanic (61%) and White students (57%).
- While Black students had a retention decrease of only 1% from Fall 2016 to Fall 2021, Hispanic students went from 67% to 61%. White students had the largest drop from 69% in the Fall 2016 to 57% in the Fall 2021. White Females dropped significantly from 70% in the Fall 2016 to 56% in the Fall 2021.
- Students under age 25 retention decreased from 69% to 61% in the past five years.
- Half of Rockland County residents are 25 years and older and have less than an associate degree. This represents a largely untapped adult learner market.
Fall to Fall Retention Heatmap Fall 2016-2021 Cohorts
High – 66% or greater Medium – between 56% and 66% Low – below 56%
| Student Category | Fall 2016 | Fall 2017 | Fall 2018 | Fall 2019 | Fall 2020 | Fall 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,297 (68%) | 1,220 (66%) | 1,203 (66%) | 1,193 (65%) | 1,099 (62%) | 985 (61%) |
| Sex: Female | 586 (70%) | 573 (67%) | 556 (70%) | 515 (71%) | 541 (61%) | 467 (63%) |
| Sex: Male | 711 (68%) | 647 (64%) | 647 (63%) | 678 (61%) | 558 (62%) | 518 (60%) |
| Sex: Total | 1,297 (68%) | 1,220 (66%) | 1,203 (66%) | 1,193 (65%) | 1,099 (62%) | 985 (61%) |
| Age < 25 Female | 548 (70%) | 526 (67%) | 518 (71%) | 476 (72%) | 507 (62%) | 430 (63%) |
| Age < 25 Male | 683 (68%) | 622 (65%) | 626 (63%) | 660 (61%) | 538 (62%) | 505 (61%) |
| Age < 25 Total | 1,231 (69%) | 1,148 (66%) | 1,144 (67%) | 1,136 (66%) | 1,045 (62%) | 935 (61%) |
| Age 25+ Female | 38 (58%) | 47 (66%) | 38 (58%) | 39 (59%) | 34 (47%) | 37 (65%) |
| Age 25+ Male | 28 (57%) | 25 (52%) | 21 (38%) | 18 (61%) | 20 (55%) | 13 (38%) |
| Age 25+ Total | 66 (58%) | 72 (61%) | 59 (51%) | 57 (60%) | 54 (50%) | 50 (58%) |
| No Pell Female | 352 (66%) | 324 (63%) | 323 (63%) | 292 (71%) | 357 (57%) | 287 (57%) |
| No Pell Male | 493 (66%) | 415 (65%) | 438 (59%) | 432 (60%) | 411 (59%) | 362 (57%) |
| No Pell Total | 845 (66%) | 739 (64%) | 761 (61%) | 724 (64%) | 768 (58%) | 649 (57%) |
| Pell Recipients Female | 234 (76%) | 249 (72%) | 233 (79%) | 223 (71%) | 184 (69%) | 180 (72%) |
| Pell Recipients Male | 218 (72%) | 232 (64%) | 209 (69%) | 246 (63%) | 147 (70%) | 156 (66%) |
| Pell Recipients Total | 452 (74%) | 481 (68%) | 442 (75%) | 469 (67%) | 331 (69%) | 336 (69%) |
| Black Female | 114 (71%) | 125 (64%) | 110 (69%) | 114 (73%) | 99 (57%) | 90 (72%) |
| Black Male | 119 (64%) | 105 (53%) | 107 (62%) | 94 (61%) | 72 (43%) | 88 (59%) |
| Black Total | 233 (67%) | 230 (59%) | 217 (65%) | 208 (67%) | 171 (51%) | 178 (66%) |
| Hispanic Female | 180 (66%) | 172 (77%) | 203 (72%) | 186 (69%) | 184 (64%) | 161 (64%) |
| Hispanic Male | 188 (68%) | 177 (60%) | 227 (60%) | 245 (57%) | 160 (61%) | 177 (58%) |
| Hispanic Total | 368 (67%) | 349 (68%) | 430 (66%) | 431 (62%) | 344 (63%) | 338 (61%) |
| White Female | 192 (70%) | 180 (59%) | 176 (66%) | 141 (73%) | 118 (61%) | 154 (56%) |
| White Male | 284 (68%) | 243 (69%) | 224 (63%) | 235 (62%) | 173 (66%) | 179 (58%) |
| White Total | 476 (69%) | 423 (65%) | 400 (64%) | 376 (66%) | 291 (64%) | 333 (57%) |
| Others Female | 100 (74%) | 96 (69%) | 67 (78%) | 74 (69%) | 140 (61%) | 62 (63%) |
| Others Male | 120 (69%) | 122 (71%) | 89 (70%) | 104 (69%) | 153 (67%) | 74 (70%) |
| Others Total | 220 (71%) | 218 (70%) | 156 (73%) | 178 (69%) | 293 (65%) | 136 (67%) |
| Not First Gen Female | 352 (69%) | 311 (68%) | 300 (67%) | 297 (70%) | 316 (58%) | 219 (58%) |
| Not First Gen Male | 468 (69%) | 431 (66%) | 434 (63%) | 437 (61%) | 384 (63%) | 260 (63%) |
| Not First Gen Total | 820 (69%) | 742 (67%) | 734 (65%) | 734 (65%) | 700 (61%) | 479 (61%) |
| First Gen Female | 234 (71%) | 262 (66%) | 256 (73%) | 218 (72%) | 225 (66%) | 248 (67%) |
| First Gen Male | 243 (65%) | 216 (62%) | 213 (62%) | 241 (61%) | 174 (60%) | 258 (57%) |
| First Gen Total | 477 (68%) | 478 (64%) | 469 (68%) | 459 (66%) | 399 (64%) | 506 (62%) |
Fall to Fall Retention Cross-Section Demographics
Fall 2021 Cohort
- It is helpful to look at the data in a cross-section, comparing each demographic with another.
- Pell recipients have a high retention rate across all demographics except for non-first-generation and White students. Conversely, non-Pell recipients have a low retention rate. First-generation, non-Pell students have the lowest retention rate besides 25 years or older in some crosstab demographics.
- Black students have a high retention rate among all demographics except non-Pell recipients and male students.
- White students have the lowest retention rate among all demographics.
High – 66% or greater Medium – between 56% and 66% Low – below 56%
| Student Category | Age < 25 | Age 25+ | Female | Male | No Pell | Pell Recipients | Black | Hispanic | White | Others | Not First Gen | First Gen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age < 25 | 935 (61%) | |||||||||||
| Age 25+ | 50 (58%) | |||||||||||
| Female | 430 (63%) | 37 (65%) | 467 (63%) | |||||||||
| Male | 505 (61%) | 13 (38%) | 518 (60%) | |||||||||
| No Pell | 626 (57%) | 23 (65%) | 287 (57%) | 362 (57%) | 649 (57%) | |||||||
| Pell Recipients | 309 (71%) | 27 (52%) | 180 (72%) | 156 (66%) | 336 (69%) | |||||||
| Black | 161 (66%) | 17 (65%) | 90 (72%) | 88 (59%) | 93 (55%) | 85 (78%) | 178 (66%) | |||||
| Hispanic | 322 (62%) | 16 (44%) | 161 (64%) | 177 (58%) | 181 (55%) | 157 (68%) | 338 (61%) | |||||
| White | 323 (58%) | 10 (40%) | 154 (56%) | 179 (58%) | 276 (56%) | 57 (61%) | 333 (57%) | |||||
| Others | 129 (65%) | 7 (100%) | 62 (63%) | 74 (70%) | 99 (66%) | 37 (70%) | 136 (67%) | |||||
| Not First Gen | 463 (61%) | 16 (63%) | 219 (58%) | 260 (63%) | 378 (61%) | 101 (62%) | 67 (66%) | 100 (56%) | 234 (58%) | 78 (73%) | 479 (61%) | |
| First Gen | 472 (62%) | 34 (56%) | 248 (67%) | 258 (57%) | 271 (52%) | 235 (72%) | 111 (66%) | 238 (63%) | 99 (56%) | 58 (59%) | 506 (62%) |
Retention by Month of First Registration Fall 2021 Cohort
Our analysis shows that the retention rate steadily declines as the month a student registers gets closer to the start of classes. There is a 20% decrease in the retention rate for a student who registers in September compared to one who registers in May.
Fall to Fall Retention Rate
First-Time, Full-Time, Degree-Seeking Students, Minus Graduates
No Data Found
| Month | Rate | Students |
|---|---|---|
| May | 71% | 117 |
| June | 67% | 181 |
| July | 64% | 212 |
| August | 57% | 393 |
| September | 51% | 51 |
| Total | 61% | 978 |
Introduction to the Schools Spotlight
The Introduction to the Schools (IttS) course helps prepare students for their education at RCC. This part of the Deep Dive shows retention and graduation for students with and without taking the IttS course. Since the Fall 2020, peer mentors have been placed in some of the Itts course sections. The Deep Dive clearly shows even greater success of students in sections with a peer mentor.
Designed as part of our Guided Pathways work, the IttS teaches important skills for succeeding in college and beyond. The one credit course is required for graduation. Topics covered include identity, values, and goal setting; study skills and the fundamentals of proper citation; maintaining physical and mental health; career and transfer preparation; degree/certificate advisement; financial literacy; and strategies for engaging with RCC’s many support services.
In the Fall 2020, peer mentors were added to some IttS courses under the guidance of RCC’s Title V Conexion team. Each semester since, the peer mentors are placed in IttS courses based on the professors who submit the interest form to the peer mentor coordinator. Only one peer mentor is matched per participating IttS course. The peer mentor is usually matched to the class or professor based on their major. If a peer mentor is not able to be matched to their major, then they are matched based on availability.
The peer mentor coordinator trains the peer mentors regarding the IttS program. A new peer mentor shadows another IttS course with a peer mentor. The coordinator hosts weekly meetings with the peers. If students state any concerns, then the coordinator emails the professor for further discussion. Some IttS courses have peer mentors set up office hours for students, while other IttS courses might have peer mentors make presentations. Professors are encouraged to work with their peer mentor to determine how they will help manage the class and support students.
Retention by IttS Level
- Over 400 students, 43% in 2021, of the first-time, full-time students did not take IttS in the fall semester. Over 75% of the part time students did not take IttS.
- Students who took IttS courses have a higher retention rate than those without IttS. Students with a peer mentor have an even higher rate over 70%.
Fall to Fall Retention and IttS Level
First-Time, Full-Time, Degree-Seeking Students, Minus Graduates
No Data Found
| Student Category | Fall 2020 | Fall 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-Time No IttS | 433 (57%) | 422 (57%) |
| Full-Time IttS | 610 (65%) | 513 (64%) |
| Full-Time IttS + Peer Mentor | 56 (71%) | 50 (74%) |
| Part-Time No IttS | 130 (43%) | 167 (40%) |
| Part-Time IttS | 59 (51%) | 47 (60%) |
2-Year Graduation Rate and IttS
Fall 2020
2-Year Graduation Rate and IttS Level - Fall 2020
No Data Found
- All IttS students had a higher graduation rate than students who did not take the IttS.
- Students who took the IttS course with a peer mentor had 30% 2-year graduation rate. This is more than double the rate of students that did not take the IttS course and 13% higher than the rate of students who took the IttS course without a peer mentor.
| Student Category | 2-Year Grad Rate | Fall 2020 Cohort |
|---|---|---|
| No IttS | 13% | 436 |
| IttS | 17% | 613 |
| IttS + Mentor | 30% | 56 |
| Total | 16% | 1,105 |
Considerations for Action
- Given the need to increase retention and support student success, how can RCC use the insights from this Deep Dive to deepen our investment and scale our approach to peer mentoring and IttS courses?
- To balance the declining demographics in the under age 25 population in the Northeast, how can RCC evolve our focus to also include intentional enrollment strategies to support older learners?
- Given the increase in retention and enrollment of students who register earlier, how can RCC work collectively to help students register sooner in the registration cycle?