An Exploratory Study of the Influence of a Meaningful Career Center Engagement on Student Retention

Abstract

Recent data highlights the advantages of earning a college degree, as bachelor's degree holders experienced lower unemployment rates (less than 2%) and significantly reduced poverty rates compared to peers with only a high school diploma (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023; Carnevale et al., 2016). However, with rising tuition costs and 55% of graduates carrying an average student loan debt of nearly $29,000 (McGee-Newton, 2019), career readiness has become a critical focus in higher education. However, the role that engagement with Career Services has on retention, which leads to graduation, has been understudied. Prior research demonstrates the tangible value of career services, with the Class of 2022 NACE Student Survey reporting that students who engaged with at least one career service averaged 1.24 job offers compared to 1.0 for those who did not (VanDerziel, 2022). The Career Development Center, an auxiliary unit within the Division of Student Affairs, provides various support services; however, these services are not mandatory for degree completion. Forty-six percent of the 2017 initial cohort persisted to degree completion within six years (MTSU Common Data Set 2023-2024). Thus, exploring entities that can increase retention is imperative. This study examines whether students who had a meaningful engagement with The Career Development Center were retained at a rate higher than their peers. It further explores students' perceptions of whether this engagement influenced their retention and their definition of career readiness.