Inside the Retention Gap: Why Adult Student Retention Demands a New Strategy [Infographic] 

Adult student retention has become a defining measure of institutional health. As colleges and universities expand online programs to serve working professionals and adult learners, persistence has become just as important as enrollment.

To better understand today’s retention realities, Collegis partnered with UPCEA to survey online adult learners and higher education leaders nationwide. We examined what’s driving stop-out risk, where institutional strategies fall short, and how perceptions differ between students and leadership.

The results reveal a clear disconnect and a significant opportunity to rethink adult student retention with greater alignment, flexibility, and data-informed strategy.

Explore the key findings below.

Closing the Adult Student Retention Gap Starts with Alignment

The research reveals four clear disconnects: institutions prioritize structure while adult learners prioritize flexibility; students value dashboards more than leaders realize; support models remain generic despite varied life stages; and nearly half of institutions don’t track online retention at all.

Improving adult student retention requires more than small adjustments. It demands student-centered strategy, integrated data, and proactive engagement built around the realities of adult learners’ lives.

The infographic offers just a snapshot. Download the full eBook to access the complete findings and build a smarter, more effective adult student retention strategy.