More Sessions Make a Difference: University Counseling Centers and Student Retention

We examined the role of counseling centers in retention in universities, specifically for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+); as first generation; and as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) and students who have a mental illness diagnosis. Number of sessions at the center was associated with increased likelihood to stay enrolled (p < .001). First-generation (p < .01) and LGBTQ+ (p < .05) students were less likely to stay enrolled. We provide suggestions for student affairs administrators to emphasize student mental health to impact retention.