The national study finds most campuses already offer the supports students need, and that capacity, not conviction, limits their reach

PeopleGrove, the leading SaaS platform for engagement and experiential learning in higher education, today announced its support of Tyton Partners' Driving Toward a Degree 2026: Student Supports Reinvented for ROI and AI as a 2026 Research Insight Partner. Now in its 10th year, the national study finds career readiness is the clearest link between a degree and its value, and that capacity, not conviction, keeps institutions from delivering it at scale.

“I’ve seen firsthand what a great mentor can do for someone's career,” said Dawn Hiles, CEO at PeopleGrove. “Institutions want to provide that opportunity to every student, and this research shows they know what works. With stretched budgets and growing caseloads, our role is to help schools scale mentorship and career support through alumni networks and AI-powered tools.”

The study surveyed about 1,300 administrators, advisors and faculty at more than 750 institutions, plus about 1,800 students. Tyton Partners retained full control of the data and analysis.

Key findings

• Career readiness defines value. 96% of staff who say their institution is worth the cost also say it prepares students well for careers.
• Capacity is the constraint. For a second straight year, few institutions expect support budgets to grow, while four-year public caseloads reached 339 students, up from 297 in 2024.
• Reach is the opportunity. 72% of institutions offer mentoring, yet only 14% of students know it is available.
• Staff want help. Preference for blended human and AI support rose to 42% from 32% in one year.

“Career readiness is a key part of how students and staff judge the return on a postsecondary education, but institutions are delivering it with flat budgets and rising caseloads,” said Catherine Shaw, Associate Partner at Tyton Partners. “Those challenges aren’t new. Caseloads have been the top barrier to better advising for six years running. What’s new is how AI might augment the people doing this work. About one in five advisors already use AI daily, and seven in ten staff say they would adopt an AI tool that meaningfully improved student outcomes, even if it changed how they work.”

The study notes that institutions "cannot buy their way to headroom." Alumni are a source of capacity that grows without new headcount. In Tyton Partners' 2025 study, about three in 10 advisors already named peer, alumni or employer mentors as an effective strategy for large caseloads. PeopleGrove helps institutions act on the findings, with responsible AI that keeps people in the loop:

• Engagement Hub connects students with alumni and makes mentoring easy to find.
• PathwayU gives students what they ask for most, a clear path from major to career, which only 27 percent of advisors believe students can map alone.
• Experience Hub brings real-world projects, among the practices the study ranks most impactful for employment, into one campus-wide view.

Download the Report

About PeopleGrove

PeopleGrove empowers colleges and universities to deliver meaningful engagement and hands-on experiential learning that drives measurable outcomes for students, alumni, academic programs, and institutions. From student and alumni engagement to clinical placements and competency management, PeopleGrove helps institutions improve student and alumni outcomes. Leveraged by more than 500 institutions and 750+ academic programs, including 98% of key clinical programs in the United States, PeopleGrove is the leader in engagement and experiential learning management.

Learn how PeopleGrove is shaping the future with a comprehensive ecosystem across the entire learner lifecycle, from student and alumni engagement to clinical experiential education, mentorship, and career readiness. Visit us at www.peoplegrove.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Tyton Partners

Tyton Partners is the leading provider of strategy consulting and investment banking services to the global knowledge and information services sector. With offices in Boston and New York City, the firm has an experienced team of bankers and consultants who deliver a unique spectrum of services from mergers and acquisitions and capital markets access to strategy development that helps companies, organizations, and investors navigate the complexities of the education, media, and information markets. Tyton Partners leverages a deep foundation of transactional and advisory experience and an unparalleled level of global relationships to make its clients' aspirations a reality and to catalyze innovation in the sector. Learn more at tytonpartners.com.

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“I’ve seen firsthand what a great mentor can do for someone's career,” said Dawn Hiles, CEO at PeopleGrove. “Institutions want to provide that opportunity to every student, and this research shows they know what works."