Student retention increases 8.3% with parent engagement

CampusESP’s annual exploratory study looks at the connection between family engagement and student retention. Our 2024 release looks at 12,374 first-time, first-year students that enrolled at nine universities in the Fall of 2022 and returned for the following Fall 2023 term. At each of these institutions, if a parent received updates from CampusESP on student progress, the student was more likely to remain enrolled. On average, student retention was 8.3% higher for students of parents receiving alerts from CampusESP.

This year we expanded and included trends on some of the students you focus on the most. Data collected by Auburn University and Duquesne University showed that parent engagement had an even larger impact on retention for Black, Hispanic, first-generation, and Pell Grant-eligible students.

For the purpose of this study, "parent engagement" refers to parents or family members that received regular alerts about student records, such as new holds placed on their student’s accounts or unmet financial aid requirements. The early alerts provided easy visibility into student data, as well as guidance on how parents could best support their students.

These results complement earlier studies initiated by CampusESP on the impact of parents on student retention and persistence, including a 2021 exploratory study, a 2017 Tarleton State University which showed that students whose families are involved with academic support are more likely to persist, and a 2018 study with Abilene Christian University that confirmed that parent engagement improves student persistence.

The results are clear and encouraging: parent engagement matters in student retention. Providing families with critical financial and academic information allows them to support their student, encourage them to stay on track, and ultimately contribute to their long-term success.