Sep 15, 2025

Tyton Partners BOSTON, Sept. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Tyton Partners, a strategy consulting and investment banking firm focused on the education sector, released Listening to Learners 2025: Awareness of Services, Belonging, and Career Readiness Drive Success (ABCs of Persistence). With primary support from the Gates Foundation and Macmillan Learning, the third installment of Tyton’s nationally recognized research series examines the interplay between student perspectives and institutional practices, offering actionable insights into the evolving drivers of persistence, equity, and institutional performance. The study draws on responses from more than 1,500 students, 1,500 faculty, 1,100 advisors and support staff, and 750 administrators across nearly 1,000 institutions. Findings highlight how belonging, awareness of supports, career readiness, and adoption of emerging technologies are shaping the future of postsecondary education. Key findings from the 2025 study include: Awareness matters. Students aware of five or more supports are 28 percentage points more likely to re-enroll, yet awareness remains lowest among students of color. Belonging drives persistence. Students who feel a strong sense of belonging are significantly more likely to re-enroll, with even stronger effects for international and first-year students. Career readiness is a priority. Nearly 90% of students are interested in earning non-degree credentials alongside degrees, signaling demand for flexible, career-aligned pathways. Generative AI is here to stay. Over 40% of students use generative AI weekly or daily, outpacing faculty and advisors, yet still prefer human-centered support. Dual enrollment builds momentum. Early exposure increases students’ motivation to pursue higher education, though gaps remain in financial and transition supports. Equity gaps persist. Few institutions disaggregate student data to improve outcomes, leaving disparities in belonging and support access unaddressed. “Elevating the student voice is essential for guiding institutional strategy,” said Catherine Shaw, Managing Director at Tyton Partners and lead author of Listening to Learners 2025. “This year’s research makes clear that awareness, belonging, and career readiness are not peripheral, they are central to persistence and strong outcomes.” “Students are adopting generative AI faster than institutions, while also demanding more career-relevant pathways,” added Dan Brennan, Principal at Tyton Partners. “Institutions that respond will be best positioned to deliver long-term value.” By connecting student perspectives with institutional practices across advising, supports, teaching, and digital learning, Listening to Learners 2025 offers a roadmap for institutions, providers, and policymakers to strengthen student outcomes and institutional resilience. Together with Time for Class and Driving Toward a Degree, this Market Measurement series provides critical insights into the future of postsecondary education. We are grateful for the support of all funders for our market measurement series: D2L, the Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Macmillan Learning, McGraw Hill, Mentor Collective, NACADA, QuadC, UERU, and Stellic.