Student Success and Retention

Belonging Builds Persistence

When students feel seen, supported, and connected, success follows. We help you make that culture real.

Our Approach

Carnegie partners with colleges and universities to strengthen student success and retention through research, data-informed strategy, inclusive campus culture, and measurable impact. From first-year persistence to graduation, we help institutions keep the promises made at enrollment: connection, support, and opportunity.

Our comprehensive solutions, including Moving the Needle and Student Success Assessments, integrate research, collaboration, and cultural alignment to improve retention and elevate outcomes across your campus.

Solutions That Strengthen Every Student Connection

How it Works

Analyze the Student Experience

We begin with deep student success research and retention analysis, reviewing institutional data, student surveys, and campus processes to pinpoint the factors that most influence persistence, belonging, and completion at your institution.

Build Campuswide Commitment

Our team facilitates campus-wide collaboration through leadership workshops, faculty sessions, and student listening, ensuring buy-in and shared ownership of your student success and retention goals from day one.

Create a Data-Informed Roadmap

Drawing on insights from Moving the Needle and Student Success Assessments, we create a tailored roadmap that connects data to action, aligning academic support, financial strategy, and culture change into a single, measurable plan for student success.

Maintain a Culture of Belonging

We help you institutionalize success systems that last. Through ongoing monitoring, predictive modeling, and culture-building initiatives, we ensure retention gains continue year after year and that every student feels connected, supported, and equipped to thrive.

Ready to Get Started?

Revitalizing Campus Spaces Builds Community and Catalyzes Growth

The University of the Ozarks launched a strategic plan to enrich student life, strengthen connections with its community, and reverse more than a decade of declining enrollment.

Two people relax on a couch; one smiles at their phone while the other holds a TV remote.
Research

The Search + Social Media Habits of Prospective Graduate Students

Graduate student marketing in higher education has undergone significant shifts in recent years. We surveyed over 750 graduate students about how the internet informs their search for a graduate program.

Turn Student Success Into Institutional Strength

There’s never been a more important time to ensure student success and institutional strength. Let’s build the culture, systems, and strategies that help every student—and your institution—thrive.