This research brief reviews and analyzes national data on college going, persistence, and graduation. It compares characteristics of students who enter college immediately after high school graduation with other types of postsecondary entrants, considers traditional versus nontraditional paths of college going, and examines college persisters and leavers. Data are analyzed by socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and ability quartile. Data highlights include: (1) the majority of 1980 high school graduates who enrolled in postsecondary education did not enter in the traditional pattern; (2) 1980 high school seniors of high ability but low socioeconomic means were not as likely to attain a bachelor's degree as were their counterparts from higher income families; (3) African Americans and Hispanics were less likely to persist for 4 years in college or to earn a bachelor's degree; and (4) half of the 1980 high school graduates who started college on track "stopped out" of college at some point in their educational experience. Statewide retention data for Tennessee are analyzed to identify similarities between national-level and state-level data. Three brief institutional case studies illustrate elements of successful retention programs. Implications of the data are examined, focusing on improving access and retention for minorities, low-income, and nontraditional students. (Contains 16 references.) (JDD)