The retention rate displayed is defined by Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) as the total number of first-time, full-time freshman students who enroll in one fall semester and return to the following fall semester to any public institution within the state. Sources for the data include the annual THEC Fact Book. The annual target for retention is increase by 0.75 percentage point from the baseline rate of the Fall 2013 to Fall 2014.
