Nationally, and within Montana, Native American college student retention and graduation rates are significantly lower than those of their majority counterparts. Native American high school students have the highest dropout rates, lowest college enrollment rates, and lowest percentage distribution of degrees conferred of any minority population in the United States. To better understand the reasons behind this, this study examined key retention factors for Native American students at Montana public four-year institutions. Utilizing an existing data set from the Montana University System data warehouse, a statistical analysis was performed to contrast the persistence to graduation of Native American students who began at a four-year public institution in Montana versus the persistence to graduation of Native American students who transferred to a public institution in Montana. The factors supporting Native American persistence were also examined for each population identified. The study found that transfer students graduated at a higher rate than students who began their academic career at a four-year public institution in Montana. [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.]