Case Study: a leading US university improves student retention with Smaply

Leading US University - Customer Case Study

Smaply worked with a leading US university facing low student retention and dropout risks. As part of a graduate healthcare course, 13 students and their professor used Smaply’s journey mapping tool to analyze why students were leaving, focusing on curriculum, financial, and social challenges.

Using Smaply, the team created personas, journey maps, action plans, and KPIs to identify key pain points like the fast 10-week quarter system, weak orientation, limited advisor access, and stressful midterm timing. The project produced 4 journey maps and helped shape recommendations to improve student preparedness and support, giving the university a clearer path to improving retention rates.