Freshmen retention rate growing at state schools

Wednesday, July 16th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education say the freshman retention rate at Oklahoma colleges and universities has increased modestly over the last ten years.

The regents say 91% of new freshman at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University enrolled at the same school or another institution the following year.

That's up from 88.6% in the 1992-1993 school year.

The regents used data through the 2001-2002 school year to compile the annual Student Date Report.

For the same period at regional universities, retention increased to 79.9% from 78.6%. At two-year colleges, retention increased to 67.6% from 66.3%.

Chancellor Paul Risser says the increasing retention is gratifying, but work still needs to be done.