A study was conducted at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) to examine student enrollment and retention patterns; quarter-to-quarter retention; retention rates by full-time/part-time status, sex, race, and age; cumulative graduation rates; and the relationship between first-quarter academic performance and subsequent quarter enrollment. The study tracked first-time students entering NVCC in the fall quarters of 1979 through 1983, and followed them up to the winter quarter of 1985. Study findings included the following: (1) between 28% and 35% of all first-time students enrolled at the college for only one quarter; (2) between 59% and 72% of all first-time students enrolled at NVCC for a total of three quarters or less; (3) attrition rates between first and second quarter of enrollment increased from 40% among the fall 1982 group to 44% among the fall 1983 group; (4) cumulatively, after six quarters of enrollment, only about 2% of the first-time students graduated; (5) fall-to-winter retention rates ranged from 56% to 60%, with fall 1983 having the lowest rates; (6) generally, retention rates among males were about 2% higher than among females; (7) students under 21 years of age had the highest fall-to-winter retention rates of all age groups; and (8) of the students who achieved a first quarter grade point average of 2.00 or above, at least 62% returned in subsequent quarters. (EJV)