What Keeps Students in College? Belonging. Connection. Peer Support.
The Real Reason Students Leave
A student on the brink of dropping out rarely cites coursework alone. Yes, academic challenges play a role, but more often, it’s something quieter: a sense of not belonging, a lack of encouragement, or the feeling that no one would notice if they left. These underlying factors, often invisible to data dashboards, are the real drivers of attrition.
Higher education has an opportunity to confront this reality—not just with new policies, but with renewed commitment to the human side of persistence.