Student Success Leaders Weigh In Ahead of 2027

Student success administrators are dealing with capacity issues and persistent challenges, finds Inside Higher Ed’s third annual Survey of College and University Student Success Administrators with Hanover Research, out today. They’re also confident in their institution’s core product and hopeful that artificial intelligence can meaningfully improve the student experience, even as many haven’t yet seen student-facing gains. Check out our reporting on that here. And check out our reporting on the survey’s findings on digital betting here.

More on the survey: Insufficient financial aid or needing to work long hours to cover living costs is the leading challenge to academic success and persistence, cited by 72 percent of respondents. Mental and behavioral health challenges rank second (55 percent), followed by gaps in academic preparation (47 percent) and basic needs insecurity (33 percent). For community college leaders, basic needs insecurity is nearly as prominent as financial constraints (65 percent versus 67 percent, respectively). 

On career preparation, some 83 percent of student success administrators agree that their institution’s students earn the credentials needed to enter their chosen fields. Overall confidence is lower in students’ experiential learning preparation, however (69 percent, though this increases to 81 percent among private nonprofit institutional leaders), and in their ability to articulate specific skills to employers (61 percent). Embedding experiential learning into coursework (58 percent), helping students articulate their skills (46 percent) and expanding industry partnerships for internships and direct-hire opportunities (45 percent) are respondents’ top career-readiness priorities. Just 31 percent say postgraduate outcomes information is easily accessible and clearly communicated through official channels (similar to 2025’s 24 percent). 

Nine in 10 leaders rate their connection with the students they serve as good or excellent; 81 percent rate their overall job satisfaction highly. A much smaller share—47 percent rate—rate their career-advancement opportunities highly. In write-in responses about the single most effective change their institution could make to boost student success, leaders highlight more resources, proactive support, coordination and institutional focus on outcomes. Technology, including AI, is framed as a means to support these goals, not an end in itself. 

This survey was conducted Aug. 22–Oct. 5 with Hanover Research. Respondents number 271 student success leaders, most of whom work in student affairs at the executive level at public and private nonprofit institutions. The margin of error is plus or minus six percentage points. Download a free copy of the report here.