Introduction
Student retention is the single most important metric for institutional health and student well-being. When students leave before completing their degrees, they carry the burden of debt without the earning potential of a credential, and institutions lose tuition revenue and momentum. Yet despite decades of effort, many colleges and universities continue to struggle with stubborn retention gaps, particularly among first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minority students.
The solution lies in modern Student Success Management Systems—integrated platforms that leverage predictive analytics, coordinated care networks, and proactive intervention tools to identify at-risk students early and connect them with the right support at the right time. Institutions implementing these platforms are achieving remarkable results: double-digit increases in retention, millions in recovered tuition revenue, and the elimination of equity gaps in graduation rates.
This comprehensive guide explores how student success platforms boost retention, featuring real-world results from institutions that have achieved retention increases of up to 25% and more. Whether you’re evaluating platforms for your institution or preparing to request a demo, understanding the proven impact of these systems is essential for making an informed decision.
The Retention Crisis in Higher Education
Why Students Leave
Students depart college for countless reasons, but patterns emerge across institutions. According to EAB’s research with hundreds of partner institutions, common risk factors include:
- Academic difficulty: Failing gateway courses, low GPA, course withdrawal patterns
- Financial stress: Unpaid balances, financial aid complications, unmet need
- Disengagement: Low attendance, minimal campus involvement, lack of connection
- Personal challenges: Mental health struggles, family obligations, work conflicts
- Administrative hurdles: Course registration issues, major declaration problems, transfer credit complications
The challenge for institutions has always been identifying which students face which challenges—and doing so early enough to intervene effectively.
The Limits of Traditional Advising
Traditional advising models rely on students to seek help when needed. But students who struggle most are often the least likely to raise their hands. They may not recognize early warning signs, feel ashamed to ask for help, or simply not know where to turn.
Even well-staffed advising offices face limitations. With caseloads sometimes exceeding 800 students per advisor, proactive outreach becomes impossible. Advisors spend their time putting out fires rather than preventing them, responding to crises instead of building relationships that could avert crises altogether .
What Is a Student Success Platform?
A Student Success Platform is an integrated technology system designed to help institutions proactively support students from enrollment through graduation. These platforms combine data from across the institution—academic records, financial aid, engagement metrics, demographic information—into unified student profiles that enable coordinated, timely interventions.
Core Components of Modern Success Platforms
Predictive Analytics: Using historical student data, machine learning algorithms identify factors most strongly associated with risk and generate early alerts for students who may need support. The University of Hawaiʻi system’s new Navigate360 implementation, for example, uses predictive models built on historical data to proactively alert faculty, advisors, and support staff at the earliest signs of risk—often before students realize they need help .
Coordinated Care Networks: Success platforms break down silos between advising, faculty, financial aid, tutoring, counseling, and other student support services. All stakeholders share visibility into student interactions, enabling truly holistic support. At the University of California, Riverside, Slate for Student Success enables advisors from different colleges and schools to share advising notes and collaborate on student support .
Early Alert Systems: Faculty can flag concerning behaviors—missed classes, low quiz scores, disengagement—through simple progress report tools. These alerts trigger automated workflows that connect students with appropriate resources. At Concordia College, 93% of faculty participated in a campaign to identify students struggling during the COVID-19 transition, enabling rapid outreach to those most in need .
Appointment and Communication Tools: Integrated scheduling, two-way messaging, and campaign management tools streamline advisor workflows and ensure consistent communication. At Valparaiso University, Slate for Student Success enables advisors to create meeting notes, send kudos to students doing well, and issue early alerts requiring follow-up .
Student-Facing Portals and Apps: Modern platforms include mobile-friendly student interfaces where learners can schedule appointments, access resources, view their progress, and receive personalized nudges. Waverton State University successfully launched Navigate360 Student to more than 12,000 users, including 77% of first-year and transfer students .
Data Integration and Warehousing: Platforms like EAB Edify integrate data from multiple sources—academic performance, financial aid, student services—into centralized systems, addressing long-standing issues with data silos and enabling informed decision-making .
Proven Results: Retention Gains in Action
The evidence for student success platforms is compelling. Institutions across the country are reporting significant retention improvements, closing equity gaps, and generating substantial financial returns.
University of South Alabama: 12% Retention Increase
The University of South Alabama faced declining retention amid enrollment growth, with six- and four-year graduation rates plateauing at 36% and 17%. Using Navigate360 data to identify areas of focus, USA developed a four-pronged strategy including campaigns to encourage high-credit students to graduate and enroll struggling students in intensive academic coaching.
The result: USA increased retention by 12% across four years and graduated an additional 126 students in 2016 alone .
Waverton State University: 15-Point Graduation Rate Increase
Despite strong first-year retention, many Waverton State students failed to graduate in four years. With advising caseloads approaching 800 students per advisor, proactive support was impossible. Waverton implemented Navigate360 to improve cross-campus collaboration and launched the student-facing Navigate app to provide personalized advising experiences.
The result: Four-year graduation rate increased by 15 percentage points, and the app reached 12,000+ users in its first year .
North Carolina Central University: 90% Retention for Program Participants
NCCU’s Men’s Achievement Center launched the African American Male Initiative (AAMI) to create community and support for male students, who graduate at lower rates than their female peers. Using Navigate360 to monitor progress, collaborate with faculty, and analyze data, AAMI staff provide intensive coaching and support.
The result: Men participating in AAMI have a 90% retention rate compared to 72% for Black male students not in the program. AAMI students also achieve a 57% four-year graduation rate, compared to 23% for non-participants .
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee: Eliminating Equity Gaps
As part of EAB’s Moon Shot for Equity initiative, UWM sought to eliminate equity gaps in retention and graduation. They piloted a completion grant program for eligible students with 90+ credits, addressing small registration-preventing balances that disproportionately impact first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minority students.
The result: Grant recipients completed at higher rates with no equity gaps between non-URM and URM students. The control group, by contrast, showed a 16.1% gap in retention and graduation .
University at Albany: $5 Million in Recovered Tuition
Albany faced coordination challenges among student-facing offices, limiting the impact of retention efforts. They implemented Navigate360 across campus, enabling advisors to work with grant students to maintain compliance and reach out to unenrolled students to bring them back.
The result: Through multiple campaigns, Albany re-enrolled thousands of additional students, resulting in over $5 million in tuition revenue .
Virginia Commonwealth University: $346,000 in Additional Revenue
VCU had steadily improved first-year retention but needed to identify less obvious needs among upperclassmen. Advisors used Navigate360 predictive analytics to run campaigns proactively intervening with 12 student subpopulations.
The result: Persistence-focused campaigns resulted in retention of an additional 65 students in spring 2015, generating $346,000 in tuition and fees revenue .
Queensland University of Technology: 84% Boost in Engagement
QUT partnered with Accenture to launch a next-gen customer engagement platform using Salesforce Data Cloud and Einstein AI. The platform captures a complete view of student interactions, enabling advisors to provide personalized guidance on study choices, student life, and living in Brisbane.
The result: 84% boost in proactive student engagement, 69% decrease in response times, and 8,000 more proactive outreaches compared to the previous year .
Lee College: Higher Engagement, Promising Early Signs
Lee College partnered with DataKind to implement Edvise, a data-driven platform that identifies students needing extra support. Advisors receive curated lists refreshed every two weeks, enabling intentional engagement with manageable caseloads.
The result: Higher engagement rates than previous initiatives. Preliminary data suggests students identified by Edvise and contacted by advisors enrolled in more credits the following semester—an encouraging step toward on-time completion .
Key Features That Drive Retention
Predictive Analytics for Early Intervention
Predictive analytics transforms reactive advising into proactive support. By analyzing historical data, platforms identify students likely to struggle before they fail.
The University of Hawaiʻi system’s Navigate360 implementation uses predictive scoring to identify factors most strongly associated with success or risk. The system can detect that a specific combination of courses often leads to lower completion rates and prompt schedule adjustments before the semester begins. It can also flag students who haven’t accessed online courses during the first two weeks—a key early indicator of disengagement—and send automatic reminders .
Coordinated Care Networks
When students face challenges, they often contact multiple offices—or none at all. Coordinated care networks ensure that every interaction informs future support.
At UC Riverside, Slate for Student Success enables advisors to create advising notes that all advisors can access, ensuring that every student interaction is accounted for across colleges and academic units. This holistic view enables truly collaborative support .
Faculty Engagement Through Progress Reports
Faculty see students more frequently than anyone else on campus. Success platforms make it easy for faculty to flag concerns and share kudos.
At Concordia College, 93% of faculty participated in a campaign to identify students struggling with remote learning during COVID-19. The Coordinated Care Network built with Navigate360 enabled rapid deployment of support staff to address student needs .
Student-Facing Tools That Drive Self-Service
Modern students expect mobile-friendly, on-demand access to information and services. Student-facing portals and apps deliver.
At UC Riverside, students access the Slate Student Success Portal to schedule advising appointments (including same-day drop-ins), access degree audits, view financial aid information, and connect with campus resources—all in one place .
Communication and Campaign Management
Success platforms enable targeted, scalable communication campaigns that reach students with personalized messages at critical moments.
At the University of South Alabama, advisors used Navigate360 campaigns to encourage high-credit students to graduate and enroll struggling students in intensive coaching—resulting in a 12% retention increase .
Financial Impact: Beyond Retention
Student success platforms deliver financial returns that far exceed their costs. The University at Albany recovered over $5 million in tuition revenue through re-enrollment campaigns . Virginia Commonwealth University generated $346,000 in additional tuition from a single semester’s retention gains . The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee’s completion grant program paid for itself through retained tuition while eliminating equity gaps .
But the financial case extends beyond tuition recovery. Institutions reduce recruiting costs by retaining more enrolled students. They improve graduation rates, enhancing institutional reputation and alumni giving potential. And they build cultures of student success that attract new students seeking supportive environments.
For systemwide implementations, the return on investment multiplies. The University of Hawaiʻi’s $7.4 million, five-year subscription to Navigate360 and Edify is expected to pay dividends through improved retention, reduced equity gaps, and increased graduation rates across 10 campuses .
What to Look for in a Demo
When you request a student success platform demo, come prepared with specific questions:
Integration Capabilities
Ask how the platform integrates with your existing systems—Student Information System, LMS, financial aid, and other tools. The University of Technology Sydney uses Boomi to integrate 400 applications, processing up to 30,000 documents daily during enrollment peaks . Your platform should connect seamlessly with your existing ecosystem.
Predictive Model Customization
Inquire whether predictive models are tailored to your institution’s specific data and student populations. DataKind’s Edvise platform, implemented at Lee College, builds models customized to each institution’s unique context, ensuring insights are accurate, meaningful, and actionable . Generic models miss critical nuance.
Adoption and Usability
Ask about user adoption rates at peer institutions. The best platform delivers no value if faculty, staff, and students won’t use it. Look for intuitive interfaces, mobile accessibility, and robust training resources.
Campaign and Workflow Tools
Request demonstrations of communication campaign tools, early alert workflows, and appointment scheduling. See how easily you can create targeted outreach to specific student populations and track results.
Analytics and Reporting
Ask about out-of-the-box reports and custom analytics capabilities. Can you track retention trends by student population? Identify equity gaps? Measure campaign effectiveness? Generate required compliance reports?
Security and Compliance
Verify that the platform meets industry security standards and complies with relevant regulations, including FERPA and state privacy laws.
Implementation and Support
Understand the implementation timeline, required resources, and ongoing support model. Ask about training options and change management resources to ensure successful adoption.
Requesting Your Demo
Ready to see a student success platform in action? Here’s what to expect:
Most vendors offer personalized demos tailored to your institution’s goals and challenges. D2L Brightspace, for example, follows a three-step process: initial contact within 24 hours, a discovery conversation to understand your needs, and a 30-minute personalized walkthrough of relevant features .
When scheduling your demo, be prepared to discuss:
- Your institution’s retention challenges and goals
- Current technology ecosystem and integration needs
- Key stakeholder groups and their requirements
- Timeline and budget considerations
- Specific questions about features and functionality
Bring a cross-functional team to the demo—advisors, faculty, IT staff, and administrators all bring unique perspectives that will inform your evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a student success platform really improve retention?
Institutions report retention increases ranging from 12% (University of South Alabama) to elimination of equity gaps (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee). Results depend on implementation quality, institutional commitment, and integration with existing support services .
How long does implementation take?
Timelines vary by platform and institutional complexity. Phased implementations, like the University of Hawaiʻi’s systemwide rollout, may span multiple years. Some platforms can launch core functionality within months .
Do these platforms replace advisors?
No—they empower advisors. As Lee College’s Dr. Sarah Tidwell explains, platforms provide “a curated, manageable list for academic advisors to engage intentionally,” enabling advisors to focus on relationships rather than data gathering .
Can small institutions afford these platforms?
Many vendors offer scalable pricing models appropriate for institutions of all sizes. Some platforms, like DataKind Edvise, are designed specifically for mission-driven institutions with limited budgets .
How do platforms protect student privacy?
Reputable platforms comply with FERPA and other relevant regulations, implement strong security controls, and provide granular permissions ensuring that only authorized users access student data.
What training is required?
Vendors typically provide training resources ranging from documentation to on-site workshops. Valparaiso University offers training sessions for departments and maintains resource materials for ongoing support .
Conclusion
Student success platforms have transformed from nice-to-have tools into essential infrastructure for institutions committed to improving retention, closing equity gaps, and ensuring every student has the opportunity to graduate. The evidence is clear: institutions implementing these platforms achieve double-digit retention gains, recover millions in tuition revenue, and create cultures of proactive support that benefit every student.
From the University of South Alabama’s 12% retention increase to North Carolina Central University’s 90% retention rate for program participants, from the University at Albany’s $5 million in recovered revenue to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee’s elimination of equity gaps—the proof is overwhelming.
But technology alone doesn’t drive retention. What makes these platforms powerful is how they empower people: advisors who can focus on relationships instead of paperwork, faculty who can easily flag concerns and share kudos, students who can access support before they even know they need it.
Your institution’s students deserve nothing less. Whether you’re just beginning to explore student success platforms or ready to schedule demos with vendors, the time to act is now. Every semester, every week, every day that passes without proactive support systems in place is a day when students fall through the cracks—students who could have succeeded with the right intervention at the right time.
Request your demo today. See for yourself how predictive analytics, coordinated care, and proactive outreach can transform student success at your institution. The technology exists. The evidence is compelling. The only question is whether you’ll take the next step.