Data – Driven Gains in Retention and Satisfaction Across the UK and U.S.

In today’s higher education landscape, student retention and satisfaction are more than just key performance indicators – they are lifelines for institutional success. Leaders across the UK and the United States face intensifying pressure to demonstrate value, advance equity, and reduce student attrition. New independent analyses of public outcomes data reveal a consistent pattern that the use of campusM – a unified student engagement platform from Ex Libris – contributed to statistically significant gains in both student retention and satisfaction across these regions

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

United Kingdom (2021–2025 data)

• Continuation Rate (source: Office for Students): campusM institutions – 88.4% vs. non-campusM institutions – 82.2% (Uplift: +6.2 percentage points; p < 0.00001, Cohen’s d = 0.64).
• Learning Resources Satisfaction (2025 National Student Survey, Theme 6): campusM institutions – 87.0% vs. non-campusM institutions – 83.1% (Uplift: +3.9 points; p < 0.0001, Cohen’s d = 0.37).

United States (latest cohort data)

• First-Year Retention Rate (source: U.S. College Scorecard): campusM institutions – 79.8% vs. non-campusM institutions – 72.96% (Uplift: +6.84 points; p = 0.00051, Cohen’s d = 0.40).
• Graduation Rate (within 150% of normal program time): campusM institutions – 64.5% vs. non-campusM institutions – 53.2% (Uplift: +11.3 points; p = 0.00005, Cohen’s d = 0.55).

Why It Matters

These are not minor, “soft” metrics – they reflect core outcomes that directly impact a university’s financial health and reputation. Even a one – one-percentage-point improvement in student retention can preserve over £1 million (or $1 million) in tuition revenue and funding at a mid -sized institution. The differences seen here – ranging from roughly 4 to 11 percentage points – are statistically significant and financially transformative.

With a sector-wide emphasis on improving access, supporting student engagement, and demonstrating return on digital investments, campusM emerges not just as a convenience but as a strategic asset. Gains in retention and satisfaction translate into better funding stability, higher rankings, and progress toward equity and mission fulfilment.

What Makes campusM Different?

campusM sets itself apart by unifying critical student services and information in one convenient location. It brings together class timetables, virtual learning environment (VLE) access, library resources, attendance tracking, student support services, and push notifications into a single mobile-first platform. This consolidation reduces digital friction for students and helps them stay connected and engaged – especially those who are underrepresented or commuter students who may feel less tethered to campus life.

The library mobile app has real-time Attendance feature enables institutions to quickly identify students who may be missing classes, so support staff can reach out before small issues become big problems. Its mobile-first design ensures that accessing key resources is quick and intuitive, increasing utilization of campus tools. Most importantly, data from campusM institutions indicate that these capabilities translate into measurable improvements in student outcomes, as reflected in the higher retention, satisfaction, and graduation rates noted above.

Important Considerations (Correlation vs. Causation)

It is important to note that these analyses are observational – correlation does not automatically mean causation. It is possible that more digitally mature institutions are simply more likely to adopt tools like campusM, which could partly explain their stronger outcomes. However, two findings strengthen the case that campusM is truly aligned with better student results rather than just coincidentally present at successful schools:

• Consistent Impact: The performance uplift associated with campusM is evident across two different countries (the UK and the US) and across multiple outcome measures (retention, satisfaction, graduation). This consistency is hard to attribute to chance or external factors alone.
• Specific Improvement: Other related performance metrics that are not directly tied to student engagement technology – for example, the NSS Organization & Management scores in the UK – showed no comparable difference between campusM and non – campusM institutions. In other words, the gains appear in areas one would expect an engagement platform to influence, but not in unrelated areas.

These findings indicate that campusM contributes to improved student outcomes, rather than simply being used by institutions that already perform well.

Key Takeaways

Across both the UK and the US, institutions leveraging campusM consistently demonstrate:

• Higher student continuation and first-year retention rates.
• Stronger graduation performance (on-time completion).
• Better student feedback on learning resources and support.

These outcomes are not just “nice-to-haves” – they are critical priorities tied directly to institutional funding, national rankings, and the fulfilment of university missions. A platform that materially improves these metrics can make a substantial impact on an institution’s success and sustainability.

Ready to Learn More?

campusM is already helping colleges and universities improve student engagement and boost retention. Imagine what a unified mobile platform could do for your student success strategy.

Contact the campusM team to:

• See a demo. Get a live walkthrough of campusM’s features and user experience.
• Compare outcomes. Discuss the data and see how your institution’s metrics could benefit.
• Learn about easy implementation. Understand the quick deployment and integration process.

Empower your students and staff with a platform that drives real results in retention and satisfaction – and join the growing community of institutions achieving success with campusM.

Source:

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data

Office for Students – Continuation and Transfer Rates dataset (latest release from 2021/22 academic year https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/student-outcomes-data-dashboard/get-the-data/

Office for Students – 2025 National Student Survey (provider-level) https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/national-student-survey-data/provider-level-dashboard/