Piecing Together the Student Success Puzzle

Creating the conditions that foster student success in college hasnever been more important. As many as four-fifths of high schoolgraduates need some form of postsecondary education to beeconomically self-sufficient and manage the increasingly complexsocial, political, and cultural issues of the 21st century. Butabout 40 percent of those who start college fail to earn a degreewithin 6 or 8 years, an unacceptably low number. This report examines the complicated array of social, economic,cultural and educational factors related to student success incollege, defined as academic achievement, engagement ineducationally purposeful activities, satisfaction, acquisition ofdesired knowledge, skills and competencies, persistence, andattainment of educational objectives. Although the trajectory for academic success in college isestablished long before students matriculate, most institutions cando more than they are at present to shape how students prepared forcollege and they they engage in productive activities after theyarrive. This is the 5th issue of the 32nd volume of the Jossey-Bassseries ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monographis the definitive analysis of a tough higher education problem,based on thorough research of pertinent literature andinstitutional experiences. Topics are identified by a nationalsurvey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned towrite the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of eachmanuscript before publication.