He is a noted theorist in the field of higher education, particularly concerning student retention and learning communities.
His best known work is probably his heavily cited book, Leaving College (1993, 2nd Edition), published by the University of Chicago Press, in which he created a theory derived from the work of Emile Durkheim on suicide.
Tinto has served as a consultant to many federal and state agencies, independent research firms, foundations, and with two- and four-year institutions of higher education.
He has also served on the editorial boards of several journals, organizations, and professional associations concerned with higher education.
In 1990 Tinto served as Associate Director of the six-million-dollar National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment funded by the U.S. Office of Education.