The phenomenon of high school dropouts is a silent epidemic that has been plaguing the United States. This study examined the effects of online education on mental health and student retention of online students within the scope of secondary education. The data for this mixed methods study was collected through anonymous online questionnaires sent to students participating in dropout prevention programs and certified personnel from the studied district. The research results provided quantitative and qualitative evidence that online education directly impacts high school dropout rates. Results from the online questionnaire and interviews indicated that online learning positively impacts students' ability to stay in school. Online learning and its impact on mental health appear at the individual level. Online learning is most beneficial in a setting that allows for educational autonomy and includes school support staff for accountability and encouragement. The qualitative portion of the data indicated that students and teachers perceive two perspectives on what is essential for preventing student dropout, retention, and how they view education. Students felt that teacher support and motivation were the most important aspects, whereas teachers considered mental support and the learning environment to have the most influence. Students participated in the post-pandemic. In turn, it is recommended that future research use these findings to support a study on a more extensive and diverse sample size to discover the reasons behind the gap between student and teacher perspectives. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]