FRESHMAN STAYING POWER

An overwhelming majority of Seton Hall freshmen complete their first year and come back to become sophomores, giving the University a retention rate that far exceeds the national average.

This fall’s enrollment showed Seton Hall hitting a six-year high retention rate of 85.2 percent, exceeding the national average by almost 12 percentage points and the state average by even more.

“This is a remarkable achievement,” said Monica Burnette, Ph.D., vice president of student services. “This is a testament to our world-class faculty, our studentfocused curriculum and the individual care we provide to each and every student who calls Seton Hall home.”

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which calculates retention rates for colleges and universities, the national average retention rate for full-time college students last year was 73.4 percent; in New Jersey, that number was 73.1 percent.

The achievement is particularly impressive in light of enrollment trends. In the last 10 years, enrollment at Seton Hall rose 19 percent while enrollment nationally declined by more than 15 percent.