A rise in higher education institution closures prompts creative mergers and acquisitions solutions, resulting in over one hundred higher education institutional mergers in the U.S. this century. The problem addressed in this study is that mergers in higher education are susceptible to higher turnover rates post-merger than pre-merger, as mergers in other industries have shown to have. The purpose of this comparative study is to analyze employee turnover rates five years before the official announcement of the merger of a group of US-based higher education institutions and five years after. The research question in this study sought to analyze the difference between employee turnover rates during a five-year period prior to the official announcement of the merger of a group of US-based higher education institutions and five years after. The theoretical framework for this study is the all-encompassing umbrella theory of organizational change. Data were collected from a publicly accessible site to calculate employee turnover rates during specific periods of time for each participating higher education institution that experienced a merger event in or before 2017. Findings include a statistically significant difference in employee turnover rates before and after a merger event. Recommendations include investing in leadership training focused on effective leadership strategies and inclusive practices as well as involving participation from various stakeholders throughout the merger preparation and implementation process. Implications for social change include incorporating strategic plans created to prepare for major organizational change events can be devised to incorporate targeted approaches that attempt to avoid or, at the very least, minimize the negative impacts. [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.]