02 JAN 2024 | VOL 7 | 1 Journal of Emerging Investigators • www.emerginginvestigators.org Article the pressing need to understand and address the factors that lead to almost a quarter of first-year undergraduate students leaving universities. Numerous studies have been conducted to analyze the factors that contribute to this low retention rate. Studies from the American College Testing (ACT) Incorporated show that students with poor academic attributes, such as low high school grade point averages, low ACT scores, or even low academic confidence, were more prone to discontinue their college education (3). Furthermore, studies in the Research in Higher Education Journal indicated that students in certain demographics, such as Hispanic, or with negative high school experiences, such as a high number of suspensions, are more inclined to drop out of college (4). These findings highlight that both academic and nonacademic attributes of students contribute to the issue of low retention rates in higher education. Existing research has shed important light on various factors influencing retention rates. Many colleges have established programs that help students who need academic assistance, mental health and emotional assistance, or financial assistance, and studies show that these programs are very beneficial for guiding a student who needs aid towards a successful future (5). However, these numerous studies focused heavily on student-centric factors rather than factors related to the college itself. Our study aims to explore an overlooked, yet potentially significant factor: the built environment of the college campus (3). In our study, we defined the built environment as the general visual appearance of the college campus. We hypothesized that more pleasing physical characteristics on a college campus leads to higher student retention rates. The rationale behind our hypothesis lies in the understanding that the built environment can have a profound impact on individuals’ well- being, engagement, and overall satisfaction (6). A study in urban planning and psychology demonstrated how physical surroundings influence human behavior, cognition, and emotional states (7). Therefore, it is reasonable to postulate that the built environment of a college campus may similarly impact students’ academic engagement, and consequently, their likelihood of staying enrolled. To investigate the influence of the built environment on college retention rates, we propose an innovative approach leveraging computer vision techniques. Specifically, we assessed the built environment using images obtained from Google Street View. Google Street View is a digital mapping Predicting college retention rates from Google Street View images of campuses SUMMARY Every year, around 40% of undergraduate students in the United States discontinue their studies, resulting in a loss of valuable education for students and a loss of money for colleges. Even so, colleges across the nation struggle to discover the underlying causes of these high dropout rates. In our paper, we discuss the use of machine learning to find correlations between the built environment factors and the retention rates of colleges. We hypothesized that one way for colleges to improve their retention rates could be to improve the physical characteristics of their campus to be more pleasing. We used image classification techniques to look at images of colleges and correlate certain features like colors, cars, and people to higher or lower retention rates. With three possible options of high, medium, and low retention rates, the probability that our models reached the right conclusion if they simply chose randomly was 33%. After finding that this 33%, or 0.33 mark, always fell outside of our 99% confidence intervals built around our models’ accuracies, we concluded that our machine learning techniques can be used to find correlations between certain environmental factors and retention rates. INTRODUCTION In the pursuit of higher education, the importance of college cannot be overstated. It serves as a transformative period in a young individual’s life, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and experiences that lay the foundation for future success. Consequently, understanding the factors that contribute to college students’ ability to persist and succeed in their academic endeavors becomes crucial. The Department of Education defines retention rate as the proportion of undergraduate students who continue their college education the following year (1). These rates provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of educational institutions in supporting their students throughout their academic journey. By examining retention rates, educators, policymakers, and school administrators can identify areas of improvement, implement targeted interventions, and ultimately foster an environment conducive to student success. In the fall of 2021, United States post-high school institutions had a retention rate of 75.6% (2). This highlights Rushil Dileep 1 , Mithil Patil 2 , Tarun Mahesh 3 , Atharv Deshmukh 4 , Samuel Liu 2 , Aarush Narayanan 5 , Larry McMahan 6 1 Irvington High School, Fremont, California 2 BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, San Jose, California 3 Hillsborough High School, Hillsborough Township, New Jersey 4 BASIS Independent Fremont, Fremont, California 5 Mountain House High School, Mountain House, California 6 Computer Science & Engineering Department, Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program, Fremont, California