Student Satisfaction and Retention: A Conceptual Model

Students in institutions of higher education are becoming more “consumer oriented” than ever before. As a result, the turnover rate is increasing-students are leaving universities almost as fast as new students are enrolled. This is both costly and inefficient. Major efforts are underway in all areas of traditional for-profit institutions to reduce their churn rate. Efforts to attract students whose needs best fit what the individual academic institution has to offer should be fruitful in reducing the rate of drop outs and transfers. This paper proposes a model of retention that considers student values congruence with the university and faculty as a significant component of academic fit and ultimate student satisfaction and retention.