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In recognition of its commitment to keep students on track to graduate, Carthage is one of the inaugural recipients of the Leading Colleges Retention Award.

Only 25 colleges and universities nationwide were selected for “ensuring a measured focus on student retention,” according to a news release from Leading Colleges LLC. The group announced its first award winners in August.

Carthage received a 2023 Leading Colleges Retention Award for its efforts to keep students on tra... Among full-time undergraduate students enrolled at Carthage in fall 2022, a record-high 94% returned in spring 2023. Looking deeper, midyear figures for students who identify as Black (98% retention rate) or Hispanic (97% retention rate) exceeded the overall percentage.

These results stem from the College’s ongoing work in the Moon Shot for Equity, a nationwide initiative to wipe out racial and income disparities in retention and graduation rates by 2030. Cross-departmental teams are exploring several avenues to keep students progressing toward their degrees.

For example, Carthage now conducts an annual review of every student’s personal and financial circumstances, and qualifying students automatically receive a Firebird Retention Scholarship to help close the gap. Already, these awards have helped more than 350 students to stay enrolled.

Teege Enrollment Services founded the Leading Colleges organization in 2022 to “create a meaningful lens for school counselors, independent educational consultants, and community-based organization professionals to identify student-centered colleges and universities.”

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