The Tertiary Experience: Of Social Integration, Retention and Persistence – A Review

In addition to illuminating personal and institutional factors that facilitate social integration of students in higher education, the current study delineates their effects on retention and persistence. The systematic literature review approach is employed to broach and synthesize seminal studies conducted between 2010 and 2021. Among other prominent factors, the study outcomes underscore not only peer interaction, student-faculty interaction, extracurricular and residential activities, but also, other attributes like financial opportunities, language proficiency and communication skills as imperative underpinnings and correlates of social integration and retention in higher education. In view of these findings, the study proffers suggestions for policy and research.