The Persistence and Retention report series examines first-year persistence and retention rates for beginning postsecondary students. Persistence rate is measured by the percentage of students who return to college at any institution for their second year, while retention rate is by the percentage of students who return to the same institution. Students attaining a credential in their first year are accounted for in persistence and retention rates. The report is designed to help institutions understand trends and patterns in this important early success indicator, and identify disparities by institutional type, state, degree level, starting enrollment intensity, and student demographic factors such as age, gender, and race/ethnicity. [For "First-Year Persistence and Retention for Fall 2017 Cohort. Snapshot™ Report, Summer 2019," see ED601214.]