Case Study: Florida International University triples graduation rates by identifying 10% more at-risk students with DataRobot

Florida International University Triples Graduation Rates by Aiding At-Risk Students

Florida International University, a top-50 public university serving a diverse student body of more than 56,000, needed a better way to spot and support at-risk students; prior modeling tools produced inaccurate flags and required exhaustive manual effort from a single full-time data scientist. To address this, FIU turned to DataRobot, using its AI Foundation and Predictive AI to build institution‑specific models tailored to FIU’s student data.

DataRobot’s cloud platform cut modeling time from months to days, allowed FIU to combine diverse data (even images), and deliver daily predictions in Tableau for advisors and coaches. As a result, FIU identified 10% more at-risk students, freed at least one full‑time equivalent and saved tens of thousands in infrastructure costs, and — with continued interventions — saw graduation rates rise from 19% to 59% over a decade.

Florida International University

Hiselgis Perez

Associate Vice President, Analysis and Information Management