Every Number
Has a Source.
Every Claim
Has Evidence.
College Edge is built on peer-reviewed research, national longitudinal data, and the clinical methodology of validated Emotional Intelligence instruments.
Who Stays. Who Leaves.
Why It Is Not About Ability.
6-YEAR GRADUATION RATE BY RACE AND ETHNICITY
Source: NSCRC 2024; BestColleges 2025. 6-year graduation rates, 2018 entry cohort.
6-YEAR RATE BY INCOME GROUP
45-point gap between top and bottom income groups. Source: Pell Institute 2024.
Where Students Go
Shapes Whether They Stay.
| Institution Type | 6-Year Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| D1 Student-Athletes | 85% | NCAA GSR 2024. High rate driven entirely by structured support. |
| Private Nonprofit 4-year | 77% | Highest by school type. |
| Public 4-year | 67% | Majority of US enrollment. |
| HBCU (income-adjusted) | 48%+ | African American students at HBCUs are 33% more likely to graduate than at comparable non-HBCUs. Gordon et al. 2021 |
| HBCU (unadjusted) | 32% | Reflects high Pell/first-generation enrollment, not institutional failure. |
| Community College (2-year public) | 43% | Only 8% transfer to 4-year schools. Highest first-generation concentration. |
How Emotional Intelligence
Predicts Whether Students Stay.
The EQ-i 2.0 is not a personality test. It is a 133-item, clinically validated assessment published by Multi-Health Systems and grounded in decades of peer-reviewed validation research across 15 subscales.
The Journal of Education and Human Development (2025) found that each one-unit increase in a student's stress resilience subscale score increases college retention odds by 9%. The UBC/U Illinois/Loyola meta-analysis of 97,000 students found that structured EI program participants graduate college at 11% higher rates.
From EQ Development
to Alumni Philanthropy:
EI Development Increases College Persistence
Each one-unit increase in stress resilience increases retention odds by 9%. Structured EI programs produce an 11% graduation lift.
JEHD 2025; UBC meta-analysis, 97K students
Persistence Produces Graduates With Strong Alumni Identity
Students who complete their degree carry a fundamentally different psychological relationship with their institution than students who leave.
Drezner and Pizmony-Levy 2021
Belonging During Enrollment Is the Strongest Predictor of Alumni Giving
Alumni with a stronger Sense of Belonging are more likely to give. Graduates involved in 3 or more campus activities were 5.6x more likely to donate.
Drezner and Pizmony-Levy 2021; Souto-Otero and Donnelly 2024
Alumni Donors Compound Into Endowment Growth for Generations
NAIS median school raised $1.51M in fiscal 2024. Alumni participation rates have declined from 20% in the 1980s to 7.8% today.
CASE VSE 2025; CASE/NAIS 2024
The FMU Study:
Pre/Post EQ-i 2.0 Data
A pre/post EQ-i 2.0 study is currently underway at Francis Marion University, measuring emotional intelligence growth among college students receiving structured coaching. Publication expected Fall 2026.
This research will add institution-specific, peer-reviewed evidence to every College Edge conversation. TGG is committed to building the field data that benefits every student we serve.
From Research
to Practice.
The research on this page is the evidence base for The Persist Method, the EQ-grounded approach to persistence developed by Dr. Tremayne Thurman, OTD. The book teaches the framework. The Lab and College Edge tiers apply it. Every tier is built on the peer-reviewed data shown above.
Persist, Your Destiny Awaits
The book. A clinical and personal field guide to persistence by Dr. Tremayne Thurman, OTD. Read Chapter 1 free now. Full book launches Summer 2026.
Get Chapter 1 Free →The Persist Workbook
The companion workbook. Practical exercises, family conversation guides, and EQ-grounded prompts that turn the book into daily practice.
The Persist Method Online
The self-paced course. Twelve modules, video lessons from Dr. Thurman, OTD, and downloadable practice tools.
Senior Year Life Skills Lab
The twelve-week curriculum from Chapter 9. Sleep, money, time, food, body, communication, anchor.
College Edge Launch
The six-week summer bridge. EQ-i 2.0, Maxwell Method DISC profile, sixty-minute debrief with Dr. Thurman, OTD, and weekly community persistence call.
College Edge Momentum
Twelve-month engagement. Three coaching sessions, Communication Mapping debrief, persistence action plan.
College Edge Persist Advantage
The premium twelve-month engagement. Six coaching sessions, Summer Bridge included, transition action plan, fall check-in, extended parent partnership.
The Persist Workshop
The institutional engagement. Half-day, full-day, and multi-day programs for universities, healthcare systems, K-12 districts, and ministries.
Certified Facilitator Program
For coaches, counselors, and educators who want to deliver The Persist Method in their own communities under TGG licensing.
Research Is the Foundation.
Practice Is the Edge.
College Edge translates this research into a structured emotional intelligence program for students, families, and institutions. See where the data becomes a program your student can actually enroll in.