What Student Success Leaders Really Think
Student success leaders are heading into 2026 with both confidence and concern, finds Inside Higher Ed’s second annual Survey of College and University Student Success Administrators with Hanover Research, out today. Case in point: A majority of student success leaders (n=204) say their colleges and universities excel at prioritizing student success (61 percent), but just about a third (35 percent) agree that their institutions are highly effective at using student success data to guide decisions.
Similarly, nearly all student success administrators are confident in the quality of undergraduate education at their institutions (95 percent), but just a third report that high-impact teaching practices are widely adopted (36 percent). And while 87 percent of leaders believe that their institutions graduate students ready for today’s job market, half want their institutions to better prioritize internships and other experiential learning opportunities (51 percent) and strengthen relationships with employers and industry leaders (50 percent).
Read more about the survey here. A free webcast discussion about the survey is set for Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register for that here.
In addition to gaps between aspiration and evidence-based practice, the survey reveals outright disapproval of institutional efforts to educate students on the ethical and practical uses of generative AI for coursework: Just 2 percent of student success leaders say their institutions have been highly effective here. Leaders are also concerned about transparency around cost of attendance, with just 11 percent agreeing that students at their institutions fully understand total costs. Recent federal policy shifts are also weighing on leaders: Some 29 percent report significant impacts on international student enrollment, and many more are worried about both the climate for all students amid federal restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
On undergraduate mental health, just 36 percent of leaders say it seems to be improving on their campus, despite leaders’ high approval rates for how their institutions have responded to this complex challenge.
