In recent years, Taiwan has been affected by a reduced number of new born children. Furthermore, the attrition of college students has emerged as one of the topics discussed in the study of higher education. This study aims to examine the factors influencing the retention and attrition of students in universities of science and technology. This study selected six students in the retention group and six students in the attrition group to participate in the interviews. The qualitative interviews included respondents' views toward retention and attrition. Finally, we summarize the interview findings under five themes: A. Effects of classroom atmosphere, teacher-student interaction, and learning attitude B. Effects of peer interaction and relationships C. Subjective perceptions and experience of the university environment D. Effects of respondents' goal development and commitment experiences E. Attendance motivation reinforced by respondents' identity with the university We thus propose several suggestions for school's teaching counseling, resource input, and school's future policy development on how to reduce student attrition.