When we're looking at Retention and Persistence, we're thinking about academic progression. However, Retention is institution-centric while Persistence is student-centric.
For Retention, we are typically looking at term-to-term retention or year-to-year retention. It is most common to look at Fall-to-Winter retention or Fall-to-Fall retention. When we say a student has been retained, that means they are still enrolled OR they have graduated. Retention focuses on keeping students enrolled at our institution until they graduate.
For Persistence, we are typically looking at year-to-year persistence. It is most common to look at Fall-to-Fall persistence. When we say a student has persisted, that means they are still enrolled, they have graduated, OR they have transferred to another institution. Persistence focuses on keeping the student on track to graduate, even if they do not stay at CCC.
While Retention is institution-centric, that does not mean this metric should be avoided. It is a very simple metric to understand and to calculate. It is important to know the difference between these two metrics so the most appropriate one can be selected for the specific question that needs to be answered.