How Colleges Are Rethinking Student Success

"The report defines success as students completing their academic programs with a degree and examines how institutions have shifted from focused interventions to more holistic approaches to degree completion."

"An analysis of the applications revealed several recurring approaches tied to college completion, including data-informed advising, structured degree pathways, coordinated campus systems, removal of financial barriers and holistic student wellness services."

""The maturation process [reflects] the recognition that reactive services aren't always the best way to ensure that students are successful," Shanks said. "If you wait for a student to be in crisis, that reaction takes more institutional bandwidth, more money and more response because the student is already there.""

"Proactive student support: Key takeaways from the report include that structural alignment across institutional units led to sustained improvement in degree completion. The report also pointed to a growing emphasis on personalized support str"

Student success initiatives at public and land-grant colleges and universities have shifted from isolated programs to institutionwide strategies for degree completion. Success is defined as students completing academic programs with a degree. A report based on applications submitted between 2015 and 2024 for an annual Degree Completion Award analyzed completion strategies at 90 institutions across 41 states. Recurring approaches include data-informed advising, structured degree pathways, coordinated campus systems, removal of financial barriers, and holistic student wellness services. Institutions also developed targeted strategies for transfer students, adult learners, and students who stop out. Structural alignment across institutional units supported sustained improvement, alongside increased personalized support.

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