Two-year colleges enroll many students every year that are not prepared for college level work. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors contribute to students needing to take remediation as well as what factors lead to successfully exiting developmental education. This study looked at students who began postsecondary education in two-year institutions for the first time in the fall of the 2011-12 school year and followed their progress over three years. Data were obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) using the 2012/14 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/14) restricted dataset. The outcome of the study was to determine which predictor variables influenced whether the students graduated with a degree in three years. The study was guided by a conceptual model derived from the literature research of persistence and attrition and examined the effects of remediation on first-time students entering two-year colleges. Noteworthy findings of the study were that students attending one institution full-time for a full year had more than two times greater odds of earning a degree. For each remedial English class taken, students were 0.66 times more likely not to earn a degree. Furthermore, for each remedial math class taken, students were 0.82 times more likely not to graduate if they took remedial courses in math. A binary logistical regression in IBM SPSS 24 was used to test the model in the study. Eleven variables were significant in the study: (1) The student's attendance in 2011-12 was important if the student was enrolled the first semester, attended full-time/full year, at one institution, (2) hours worked per week in 2012-13, (3) the student grade point average in college in 2011-12, (4) perceived likelihood in 2012 of ever completing their expected degree, (5) number of remedial courses taken in English 2011-12, (6) highest level of education the respondent in 2014 ever expected, (7) student engagement and feeling like part of the institution in 2012, (8) grade point average (GPA) in high school, (9) number of remedial course taken in math 2011-12, (10) highest educational level attained by parents, and (11) gender of the student. [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.]