Preparing the workforce for an increasingly global economy is among the leading concerns in higher education, and retention of students is vital to successfully managing this economic shift. Study abroad programming consistently yields positive outcomes that span these three levels and may very well be a retention strategy that has been previously been overlooked. This article examines and compares retention and study abroad literature to highlight strong similarities in the factors that affect retention compared to the variables that are positively influenced by international study. The subsequent analysis explores how institutions can thoughtfully integrate study abroad programming as an effective retention strategy.