Facebook Usage as a Predictor of Retention at a Private 4-Year Institution

Computer-based social networking has become ubiquitous on college and university campuses. However, little is known about how this form of networking reflects social integration which is considered to be an integral component of student persistence. To address this topic, a random sample of 375 entering freshman were used to evaluate the differences between persisters and non-persisters in their use of “Facebook,” currently the most popular social computing network. Findings indicated that persisters were more actively involved and more likely to use Facebook for university-based relationships than non-persisters. Activity on Facebook was also statistically significantly related to a measure of Tinto's concept of social integration. Facebook appears to be a behavioral measure of social integration and may be an important factor in facilitating the transition to college for students.