Georgia State University tracks 800+ risk factors daily to improve graduation rates with predictive analytics

Overview

Georgia State University's predictive student retention analytics implementation tracks over 800 risk factors for more than 40,000 students daily and generates 90,000 targeted interventions annually. The approach has resulted in a 7-percentage-point increase in four-year graduation rates while closing achievement gaps among different student populations.

The challenge

Higher education institutions across the United States are grappling with unprecedented challenges in student retention, with nearly one-third of undergraduate students dropping out before completing their degrees. Traditional approaches relied on faculty reporting or mid-term grade alerts, which often came too late to prevent academic failure or withdrawal decisions.

The solution

Georgia State University's implementation tracks over 800 risk factors for more than 40,000 students daily and generates 90,000 targeted interventions annually. The source cites this as an example of how modern student success analytics platforms more broadly incorporate academic performance indicators, engagement metrics, financial factors, social connections and behavioral patterns to create holistic student risk profiles.

Reported business value

This comprehensive approach has resulted in a 7-percentage-point increase in four-year graduation rates while closing achievement gaps among different student populations.