This document discusses retention rate based on ethnicity for Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) for December 2002. The study found that the 2001 Fall-Spring retention rates increased among all ethnic groups. The total college retention rate rose by 2.7 percentage points to 75.2%. Among individual groups, the highest retention rate of 76.9% was for Black non-Hispanic students. The rate was 75.1% for Hispanic students and 71.8% for White non-Hispanic students. The study also calculated the combined graduation and retention rate. This figure for the Black non-Hispanic students was 79.9%, which not only represents the group's highest for the 5 years studied, but also exceeds the rates of the other major ethnic groups. The retention plus graduation rate for White non-Hispanic students was also at its highest level, 78.2% in 2001. Additionally, the retention rate for new students peaked at 80.3% in 2001. All major ethnic groups achieved higher retention and were led by Black non-Hispanic students at 81% and White non-Hispanic students at 74.4%. New student retention rates across the years surpass continuing student retention rates and other student category retention rates. (Contains 13 tables.) (MZ)