Why Student Retention Data Matters

Retention is one of the strongest indicators of student success. When students return for their second year, it shows they are finding connection, support, and value in their UNT experience. Tracking retention rates also provides faculty, staff, and administrators with a measurable metric for assessing and improving student success initiatives at the college and university levels. By identifying patterns and trends — whether it’s first-year students adapting to campus life or transfer students navigating a new environment, we can make targeted improvements that have real impact.

Our goal for retention

Increase UNT’s overall first- to second-year retention rate from 77% to 90% by 2030

Dashboard Overview

This dashboard highlights fall-to-fall retention rates for first-time-in-college (FTIC) and undergraduate transfer students across all colleges, allowing comparisons between UNT overall and specific academic units. Although current rates show room for improvement, they underscore why continued investment in advising, student engagement, and the first-year experience is critical to creating a strong foundation for student success.

What factors impact student retention?

According to a 2023 survey of UNT students who did not return for the spring semester, more than 70% reported financial challenges as their biggest barrier. Other reasons for not returning included class availability and scheduling conflicts, academic suspension, and mental and physical health.

What strategies is UNT prioritizing to increase retention?

In Fall 2024, a committee of UNT faculty and staff engaged stakeholders across the university in a survey to assess UNT’s current student success landscape. More than 1,400 survey responses were received from respondents, including undergraduate students (37%), graduate students (13%), faculty (19%), and staff (27%). Their efforts culminated in the Student Success Scan Final Report, which outlined short- and long-term recommendations to enhance student success at UNT.

From this report — along with extensive data and feedback gathered throughout the strategic planning process — UNT identified the following key strategies to increase retention:

Strengthen the first- and second-year student experiences to boost meaningful academic and co-curricular engagement
Deploy advanced, data-driven systems and services to deliver timely, personalized support, seamlessly connecting admissions, enrollment, advising, financial aid, and academic and other services
Implement new advising models that integrate academic and career supports for students to connect the dots between their studies and career goals
Improve access to mental health support services, including proactive mental health programming, group and individual counseling, and community resources

Methodology Notes

The Fall-to-Fall Retention Rate is the percentage of first-time, degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled in at least 12 semester credit hours (SCH) in the fall semester who are still enrolled at UNT in the following academic fall semester.

A few things to note:

The cohort includes students who enrolled in the prior summer term and continued into the fall term.
Students who graduated from the university within one year are also included in the fall-to-fall retention rate.
In this tab, the TAMS (Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science) students are included in the calculation of the fall-to-fall retention rate. TAMS is a two-year residential early entrance college program serving about 375 high school juniors and seniors at the University of North Texas. Students are admitted from every region of the state through a selective admissions process.