This dissertation empirically tested Tinto's student integration theory through structural equation modeling using a national sample of 2,847 first-time entering community college students. Tinto theorized that the more academically and socially integrated a student is to the college environment, the more likely the student will persist through college. It is a longitudinal, linear model of the psycho-social interactions between a student and the academic and social systems of an institution to explain the drop-out behavior. While there has been support for this theory's application to four-year institutions, particularly residential institutions, there has been limited research on its application to community colleges. Two-year community colleges enroll non-traditional students with diverse backgrounds and educational goals, and have external commitments such as work and family. Using the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Beginning Post-Secondary Students Longitudinal Study 2003-2004 (BPS: 04/09) dataset, this study was able to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis to measure Tinto's five latent factors of Pre-entry Attributes, Pre-entry Goals and Commitments, Academic and Social Integration After Entry, After-entry Goals and Commitments, and Outcomes. Thereafter, a structural equation model was specified showing the direct and indirect paths to Outcomes in Tinto's framework. Tinto's structural model was reduced to a four factor model (SEM 1), which explained 28% of the variance in Outcomes. An alternative model (SEM2) with two additional direct paths to Outcomes--from Pre-entry Attributes and from Academic and Social Integration After Entry--explained 48% of the variance in Outcomes. Both SEM models strongly supported that Academic and Social Integration After Entry have an effect on Outcomes, but only IF mediated by After-entry Goals and Commitments. After-entry Goals and Commitments had the most powerful direct effect (SEM 1: ß = 0.50, ? < 0.001; SEM 2: ß = 0.94 ? < 0.05) on Outcomes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]