It is widely understood in the higher education community that students from the lowest socioeconomic (SES) status achieve lower college graduation rates than those from other SES, even when controlling for other variables. Certain programs and services have been shown to positively affect student persistence, even when compared by student SES and other variables. One of the key factors that positively affects students from low SES is student adaptation. Student adaptation can be assessed by measuring how integrated a student is with the academic and social systems of an institution. In current day American society, obtaining a bachelor's degree is considered a positive step toward social mobility and public good. Many factors can contribute to the success of some individuals in obtaining a degree and conversely in impeding progress for others. It is contended that adaptation is a factor necessary for students to achieve persistence. This study is an attempt to examine whether the level of student adaptation is lower among students from lower economic status at institutions where their graduation rates are low compared to students from lower economic status at institutions where their graduation rates are high. The goal of this study is to discover if differences, as measured in the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ), exist between low SES students and other students at the same institution. Results indicate that students at institutions with the better graduation rates for lower SES students have higher student adaptation scores than institutions where the graduation gap between the low SES and other students is greatest. Identifying the best practices and implementing them on college campuses can change the face of America's college graduates. There is enormous potential to redirect the growth in graduation rates for some of our country's least served members by examining institutional practices that can aid in closing the achievement gap. [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.]