The purpose of this retrospective analysis research study was to create a trend description of rural students' characteristics and outcomes of higher education in one state in the northeastern United States. An additional aim of the study was to determine the distance to campus for rural and non-rural students and the relationships between distance and retention and degree attainment. The study used secondary data of the cohorts of undergraduate students entering the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 to conduct weighted tests of two proportions, point biserial correlation, and binomial logistic regression to analyze the data. The dependent variables included age, sex, race/ethnicity, rural/non-rural, distance from home location to the institution of attendance, major, Pell eligibility, and housing in the first semester of attendance. The outcomes that were studied were student retention and degree attainment in four or six years. The results of the study found that rural students had statistically significant differences in age, sex, race/ethnicity, distance to campus, major, Pell eligibility, and housing. There were mixed results for the differences in retention and degree attainment between rural and non-rural students. When the cohorts were combined, there were no statistically significant differences in retention and degree attainment for rural and non-rural students. The study is meant to inform rural students, institutions of higher education, and policymakers as they continue to serve rural students in higher education. [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.]