The coordinated work of faculty and staff members across advising, academic affairs, instruction and more brought measurable momentum into 2026, as campus contributors met or exceeded all top-line metrics impacting student enrollment, retention, completion and social mobility.
Meredith Jeffers, Ph.D., executive director of University Strategy, highlighted gains in student success from June to December in a 2025 end-of-year report.
“This year’s progress reflects the collective commitment of our faculty and staff to remove barriers, strengthen pathways and ensure every student has a clear route to graduation,” Jeffers said. “The data show that when we align our work to our strategic pillars, we create real, measurable impact for our students and our community.”
Standout accomplishments in the second half of 2025 included:
- Exploratory students declaring majors earlier: The percentage of exploratory students from summer SOAR who declared a major doubled from 33% to 66%, helping students gain direction earlier in their academic journeys.
- Reengagement increased completion: More than 83% of targeted “already done” students — those who had completed degree requirements but were no longer enrolled — were successfully engaged to apply to graduate in fall 2025.
- Advising engagement and academic plans increase: The University exceeded its advising engagement targets, with 83% of first-time, full-time (FTFT) students (surpassing the 77% goal) and 86% of new transfer students (exceeding the 75% goal) meeting with an advisor in 2025. Early advising engagement strengthens retention and timely graduation by helping students understand degree requirements and select courses strategically.
In addition, the University set a record for fall-to-fall retention among FTFT and achieved its highest four-year FTFT graduation rate reported in the history of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. MSU Denver also improved its national social mobility ranking from 141 to 118 out of 1,398 institutions, even as CollegeNet expanded the list by more than 200 schools.
Together, these gains demonstrate how improvements in recruitment, advising, academic clarity and graduation processes reinforce one another. When students declare majors earlier, meet with advisors and stay on track, retention rises. As retention improves, graduation rates strengthen. Higher graduation and earnings outcomes, in turn, advance social mobility — accelerating the University’s strategic flywheel.
The results underscore the University’s commitment to improving student retention and completion while advancing broader goals across strategic pillars, including academic excellence, community partnerships and organizational effectiveness.
As University leaders look ahead, Jeffers said they plan to continue to ensure key initiatives remain visible, aligned and responsive to evolving needs.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to explore the full 2025 end-of-year update to see how their work connects to specific leading indicators and top-line metrics — and where the next opportunities for impact lie.
To explore how your unit’s work contributes to student success and the 2030 Strategic Plan, visit the Strategic Plan SharePoint or contact Meredith Jeffers.
