ABSTRACT
College retention has gained a significant amount of attention from both researchers and practitioners. This chapter reviews previous studies on the retention and degree attainment of swirling students as well as the methodological challenges of studying student retention in the age of student mobility. It defines the concept of swirling and explores its prevalence using the Beginning Postsecondary Students 12:17 data, which ran through 2017 and is the latest available data for a nationally representative sample of first-time college students. The chapter discusses methodological challenges in studying retention of swirling students with quantitative data. The negative relationship holds even after controlling for student demographics and precollege characteristics. Vertical transfer is regarded as a traditional pathway for community college students. This chapter reviews methodological challenges in conducting quantitative research that examines retention and degree attainment of swirling students.
