摘要：The Honors College at Texas A&M University-Kingsville was established in 2010. At that time, student retention rate at Texas A&M-Kingsville was at 56%, one of the lowest rates in Texas. In an effort to determine if the establishment of the Honors College on campus has made a positive impact on First Time In College (FTIC) student retention rates, data on all FTIC students between 2005 and 2014 was collected, which included: ethnicity (Hispanic/non- Hispanic), first generation/non-first generation, ACT/SAT scores, if the student participated in the Honors College or not during their first year, and if the student was retained to the sophomore year at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Results indicate that the Honors College has had a positive impact on retention rates of FTIC students in the Honors College compared to the general student population. Retention rates since 2010 have increased for the entire university, with a retention rate of 69% for all FTIC students in the 2014 cohort. On average, the Honors College improved retention rates for Honors College students 25% compared to the general student population, 27% for first generation students, and 26% for Hispanic students. Likewise, the Honors College improved retention rates for Honors College students 11.5% compared to students on campus who could have joined the Honors College given their SAT/ACT scores. The results of this study show that the Honors College has had a positive impact at a rural, Hispanic Serving Institution and could serve as a model for other universities with similar student demographics to help boost retention rates of high-achieving students.
关键词：Honors College; student retention; first year students
