Retention is a significant challenge at small universities and therefore research in this area is needed. The purpose of this quantitative correlational-predictive study was to examine to what extent high school GPA, standardized college entrance exam scores, and grit (perseverance and consistency) predict first to second year student retention at a small private university in South Carolina. Tinto's theory of retention and Duckworth's theory of grit supported this research. The three research questions examined the significance of high school GPA, SAT standardized test scores, and either overall Grit-S scale or the perseverance of effort and/or consistency of interest subscales as potential predictors of first to second year student retention. The sample of 75 students was drawn from university archival data from the Fall 2018 Foundations of Success course. Due to low reliability, the third research question examining perseverance of effort was removed from the analysis. The results of the multiple logistic regressions for the first two research questions using High School GPA, SAT Scores, overall Grit-S scale, and consistency of interest as predictors showed that these models were significant (X[superscript 2](3) = 13.79, p < 0.003; X[superscript 2](3) = 13.761, p< 0.003), therefore the null hypotheses were rejected for research questions one and two. These results are relevant to university recruitment and retention professionals. [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.]