Online education has become a major component in higher education and is no longer viewed as something students choose only when it is impossible to take a course in a traditional setting. Student perception of the quality of online learning is a prominent component of an online course. However, it is not the only component to consider, as various factors could contribute or present barriers to a student's perception of quality, impacting retention in online learning. Understanding students' perceptions regarding online learning and the factors that contribute to their experiences will ultimately lead to improvements in online learning systems and practices. This qualitative, single descriptive case study explored how graduate students perceive quality in online learning and the impact those perceptions could have on retention based on the factors that influenced their experiences. Data were collected using an online questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The participants were selected from a private university in northeast Georgia and were online graduate nursing students. The results of this study reflected what graduate nursing students perceive as important factors necessary to improve the quality of online learning. The results showed several contributing factors that would impact retention in online learning. Majority of the participants expressed the need for improvement in teaching strategies that could improve online learning. Participants communicated the importance of engaging students to reduce the feeling of isolation, thus maintaining or increasing the possibility of retention in online programs. [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.]