Why Colleges Lose Students by Daniel J Myers

Why Colleges Lose Students by Daniel J Myers

In Why Colleges Lose Students, Daniel J. Myers uncovers the hidden dynamics behind college retention and graduation, revealing how privilege and student background disproportionately shape outcomes in higher education, and what can be done to improve persistence.

Drawing on 15 years of data from more than 1,000 colleges and universities, this book shows that standardized test scores and socioeconomic advantage are stronger predictors of student success than institutional quality. Myers introduces a new ranking system that separates the effects of privilege from true institutional contribution, debunks costly yet ineffective interventions and pervasive myths, and highlights institutions that add real value by serving underprepared students and graduating them at higher-than-expected rates. Accessible and evidence-driven, this work equips higher education leaders with practical tools to break the “Privilege In, Privilege Out” cycle and to design equitable strategies that transform colleges into engines of social mobility rather than mechanisms for reproducing advantage.

Daniel J. Myers is President of Misericordia University and previously served as provost at American University and Marquette University, and Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame.