Display 0750:     Freshman Retained to Second Year: 1991-2005
                            (Fall to Fall; All First-Time, Full-Time Freshmen)

Regarding Retention Rates:

Retention rates are calculated for all First-Time, Full-Time freshmen students enrolled in the fall term ("cohort year") who return the following fall.  (Actual numbers returning for cohorts prior to 1993 have not been maintained.)  The University System of Georgia tracks both freshmen matriculating in and retained by their freshman institution ("SSU retained") and those matriculating in an institution and transferring to somewhere within the University System of Georgia ("USG retained").  The difference between locally retained and system retained is greater for smaller institutions offering fewer majors as successful students may transfer from their original institution seeking curriculum offered elsewhere.  SSU's aggregate rates are somewhat lower than system norms in some years because SSU's freshman class has included, by BOR design, a greater percentage of developmental students who are retained at a lower rate throughout the system's institutions.  When rates are calculated separately for developmental and non-developmental students, SSU's retention rates for each group compare favorably to system norms.  (See: Display 0751)
Fall-to-Fall One Year Freshman Retention
2000's                    
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Total Freshmen 440 496 607 568 806          
SSU Retained (N) 335 392 429 398 581          
SSU Retained (%) 76.14% 79.03% 70.68% 70.07% 72.08%          
USG Retained (N) 354 421 468 453 642          
USG Retained (%) 80.45% 84.88% 77.10% 79.75% 79.65%          
Fall-to-Fall One Year Freshman Retention
1990's                    
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Total Freshmen     703 655 625 477 455 351 281 370
SSU Retained (N)     428 386 342 309 249 231 193 265
SSU Retained (%) 66.90% 61.90% 60.90% 58.90% 64.70% 64.80% 54.70% 65.81% 68.70% 71.62%
USG Retained (N)     468 424 403 342 267 248 204 281
USG Retained (%) 72.50% 69.90% 66.60% 64.70% 64.50% 71.70% 58.70% 70.66% 72.60% 75.95%

Source:  Reconstructed from BOR system files based on Registrar's SIRS file.
Prior to 1991, data was aggregated by ethnicity and by developmental level but not for total enrolled students.
SSU Office of Institutional Research & Planning.