Institutional commitment of traditional and non-traditional-aged students: a potential brand measurement?

Currently, 18--21-year-olds account for 60% of university students; mature students represent 40%. Attrition (dropping out) can be related to discordance between a student's perception of the university created through branding and marketing of the institution and the university's actual environment and offerings delivery. This study adds to this research by indicating: (1) retention factors do vary for first-year students, depending on age and (2) academic environment is key to institutional commitment among non-traditional (22--55+ years of age) students whereas university and organizational support features contribute more to traditional (17--21 years of age) students' campus integration.