How Higher Ed Can Support the Three Dimensions of Student Success

Every higher education leader is talking about student success. But success is more than grades, graduation rates, or even career outcomes. At its core, it rests on three interconnected pillars: academic preparedness, campus belonging, and career readiness.

These pillars aren’t new, but they’ve become more urgent. Incoming students are arriving less academically prepared than in years past. Social isolation is rising on campuses. And employers continue to say graduates lack the skills most needed in the workforce.

The question is: How do institutions address all three at once?

One proven yet underutilized strategy is peer tutoring. When done intentionally, peer tutoring strengthens each pillar, helping students thrive academically, socially, and professionally.

Pillar 1: Academic Preparedness

The preparedness gap is real—and widening. According to ACT, fewer than half of first-year students in 2024 read at a college-ready level. Nearly 40% of students at four-year colleges take at least one remedial course. Faculty consistently report that post-pandemic cohorts are less prepared for the academic demands of college, even when GPAs suggest otherwise.

This gap isn’t just about grades. It’s about persistence. Students who begin college underprepared are more likely to withdraw, and equity gaps widen as a result.

Peer tutoring directly addresses this challenge. Unlike traditional support models that rely on faculty or learning centers, peer tutoring meets students where they are: in their courses, on their schedules, and in formats (like one-on-one or small group) that feel less intimidating.

Consider Augsburg University. Facing retention challenges among its diverse student body, Augsburg implemented a peer tutoring strategy through Knack that reached hundreds of students within its first year. Remarkably, 66% of those students had never accessed tutoring before. For many, this was their first experience with structured academic support.

One student reflected:

“I feel way more confident about the subject after my session. I worked on practice exercises at home and plan to meet with my tutor again next week.”

Stories like these show how preparedness isn’t just about fixing deficits. It’s about building confidence, normalizing help-seeking behaviors, and giving students a foundation to thrive.

Pillar 2: Campus Belonging

Even when students are academically capable, a lack of belonging can derail their college journey. Research shows that students who feel disconnected from their peers or campus are less likely to persist, even if they’re earning good grades.

Today, this challenge is acute. Many students report feeling isolated and lonely, relying on Google or AI chatbots rather than reaching out to people for help.

Peer tutoring counteracts this trend by building authentic human connection into the academic experience. A tutoring session is more than problem-solving; it’s a conversation, a relationship, and a moment of recognition that you’re not alone here.

At Benedict College, for example, nearly half of all tutoring sessions occurred outside of the traditional 9-to-5 window. This flexibility meant that working students, caregivers, and those with busy schedules could still connect with peers. More importantly, it normalized academic support as a shared, communal activity, not a stigmatized last resort.

Students themselves describe the impact in terms of belonging:

“I didn’t think I would have a chance at passing my Calculus I class, but after only five sessions, I’m now on the right track. My tutor was patient and motivating. With their help, I finally feel like I belong here.”

That phrase—I belong here—is at the heart of persistence. When students see peers who’ve been through the same struggles and succeeded, they are more likely to believe they can succeed too.

Pillar 3: Career Readiness

The third pillar is about preparing students not just to graduate, but to thrive after college. And here, the disconnect is stark. Employers continue to say that graduates lack critical skills like problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and leadership.

What’s often overlooked is that students are already practicing these skills, just not always recognizing or articulating them. Peer tutoring makes these competencies visible.

Tutors aren’t just helping with coursework. They’re adapting to different learning styles, leading peers, solving problems in real time, and managing their own time and workload. These are precisely the skills employers value most.

Programs aligned with the NACE Career Readiness Framework, like Knack’s Skill Development Program, that integrate reflection into the tutoring experience show measurable growth:

• 10.6% increase in leadership skills
  
  
• 9.7% increase in critical thinking and problem-solving
  
  
• 8.6% increase in communication skills

For many tutors, it’s the first professional role where they can connect their daily responsibilities to lifelong skills. One former tutor, now a nurse, put it this way:

“I feel very prepared for my clinical career because tutoring taught me how to adapt my teaching to different people. That’s exactly what I’ll need to do with patients.”

Peer tutoring, then, is not just academic support. It’s workforce preparation in disguise.

Connecting the Pillars

The real power of peer tutoring lies in how these pillars reinforce one another.

• Academic preparedness builds competence.
  
  
• Competence fuels confidence, which strengthens belonging.
  
  
• Belonging opens the door to persistence and leadership opportunities.
  
  
• Leadership experiences translate directly into career readiness.

A single tutoring session can ripple across all three pillars. A student who gains clarity on a tough concept also gains confidence. That confidence makes them feel more at home on campus. And if they later step into the role of tutor, they graduate with leadership skills that employers value.

This interconnectedness is why peer tutoring is increasingly recognized as a high-impact practice. It’s one of the few strategies that simultaneously improves academic outcomes, retention, and employability.

Final Thought

The challenges facing higher ed, such as underprepared students, rising isolation, and uncertain career outcomes, can feel overwhelming. But they aren’t disconnected problems. They’re different sides of the same coin.

By investing in strategies like peer tutoring, institutions can strengthen all three pillars of student success at once.

Because when students support each other, they don’t just pass a class. They gain confidence, find belonging, and prepare for life after graduation.

And that’s the kind of success higher education should be measured by.

Every student deserves support. Every campus needs scalable solutions. Every leader wants results. See how peer tutoring makes it possible at joinknack.com.