A collection of data points can show an abundance of information about a college student, telling a data-driven story about a student's past, current, and sometimes predicting future challenges at the university but some challenges may not be able to be indicated by data points alone. Challenges such as mental health, financial challenges, unexpected homelessness, or a lack of motivation can eventually be shown in a data point but only if the student begins to miss class or does poorly on assignments. As more students leave universities or do not get degrees because of non-academic related challenges, a need to indicate these students for support, like a referral system, is pertinent to retention efforts. This quantitative study examined the effectiveness a faculty and staff referral component of a retention focused case management system had at increasing student retention, graduation rates, and other success factors compared to the students added by data analytics alone. Utilizing a retention focused office in a public four-year, mid-sized institution as the study's setting, 2,266 students who entered the retention office's case management system from fall 2019 to spring 2022 were analyzed. The research revealed that referred students and data selected students provided similar positive outcomes in a students' academic success. Chi-square tests of independence showed the relationship between meeting with a staff member and persistence was statistically significant for both referred students and data selected students and a repeated measure t-test showed there was an average rise in cumulative GPA across both referred students and data-selected students. A repeated measures ANOVA model using regression approach tested whether there was a significant relationship between students' weighted difference cumulative grade point average, meeting or not meeting with a staff member, and referred or data-selected students but the results were inconclusive. The research comparing the effectiveness a referral system of a retention focused case management system to the data analytic component is limited, making this study a contribution to the research, discourse, and practical implications for higher education practitioners. [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.]