Institutions of higher education must include policy-informing research into their long-term retention planning to improve institutional practices regarding student support and persistence (Bean, 2001; Kuh, 2006; Brown, 2015). This information is needed to make institutions of higher education aware of how student characteristics interact with the institutional environment, thus creating positive or negative attitudes about the educational experience, which lead to student persistence or departure from the institutional setting (Bean, 2001; Hossler, 2005; Perna, 2006). This quantitative study evaluated the perceived effectiveness of institutional practices to foster an environment that is conducive to student development, academic achievement, and persistence of African American students in higher education (Braxton, 2000; Kuh, 2006; Foster, 2015; Harper, 2009; Kalsbeek, 2013). The study consists of six public, four-year institutions, including two Historically Black Colleges and Universities and four Predominantly White Institutions to gather data regarding African American students' perception of their academic and social transition, institutional practices and support, student engagement, and college satisfaction. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was utilized in this study and data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson Chi Square statistic to provide a comprehensive picture of institutional policies and practices that support African American students' persistence in higher education. [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://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]