New Survey Finds Fragmented Digital Systems Are Eroding Student Success, Belonging and Satisfaction Across U.S. Colleges, Says Pathify

Nearly Half of College Students Missed Critical Deadlines Due to Digital Fragmentation and a Third Would Reconsider Enrollment if Basing Their School Decision Solely on Digital Experience

DENVER, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pathify, higher education's only provider of the Campus Experience Platform (CXP), today released findings from its 2025 Student Digital Experience Survey, revealing pervasive frustration among U.S. college students who say their institution's fragmented digital systems create stress, impede academic success and make it difficult to feel connected on campus. Based on insights from more than 1,000 students, the report highlights a widening gap between the intuitive, seamless digital experiences students expect and the confusing maze of portals, apps and links most institutions provide — pointing to the growing need for unified digital platforms that deliver a single, consistent student experience.

"Today's students live fully digital lives, yet the systems meant to support them create friction instead of clarity," said Shana Holman, Head of Strategic Engagement and Alliances for Pathify. "Our survey shows that fragmented, difficult-to-navigate digital systems actively undermine student belonging and trust. Institutions must see modern digital infrastructure as a core driver of student success and institutional resilience."

Digital Friction Hurts Students Academically and Emotionally 
The report shows disjointed systems take a measurable toll on student well-being and academic performance. The majority of students (57%) said their institution's digital experience causes them stress at least "sometimes," and 41% of those students report that this stress negatively affects their ability to learn or succeed academically. Nearly half of students (47%) indicated they have missed a critical deadline such as an assignment, payment or registration because they were unaware it was due, often as a direct result of navigating multiple siloed portals.

Students also described losing significant time searching for basic information. Most students (60%) reported spending more than five minutes trying to locate essential items like class schedules, financial aid details or registration steps, and nearly one-third (27%) said it takes 10 minutes or more. The consumer platforms students interact with daily set their digital experience expectations — and nearly two-thirds (59%) said their campus systems are not nearly as intuitive as services like Netflix, Amazon or DoorDash — but believe they should be.

Fragmented Technology Undermines Belonging and Connection
The Student Digital Experience Survey also found the current digital environment weakens students' sense of belonging, a key factor in student success and retention. Only 33% of students reported they use institutional technology to find clubs or campus groups, often relying instead on flyers, signs or word-of-mouth. Underscoring that gap, a resounding 65% of students said they want their college to make it easier to discover groups and clubs online.

Communication between students suffers for similar reasons. Just 28% use their institution's community app to communicate with peers, and 64% want easier ways to connect socially and academically through campus technology. While students expect technology to strengthen community, the systems they encounter often leave them feeling disconnected.

Quality Digital Experience Ties Directly to Institutional Satisfaction and Reputation
Half of students (47%) said their college's digital environment either has no positive impact on their satisfaction or impacts it negatively — revealing institutions are actively forfeiting a key lever for student satisfaction and, in many cases, introducing friction that undermines it. Perhaps most notably, more than half (54%) indicated they would share their digital experience with prospective students, even when that experience is negative.

This emerging trend signals a growing reputational and recruitment risk for institutions that have not modernized their digital ecosystems, with one-third of students (32%) reporting they would reconsider their decision to enroll at their current school if it were based solely on the quality of digital systems.

Students Want a Unified Digital Platform — Not More Tools
Across diverse demographics and school types, students expressed a strong and consistent preference for digital simplicity and cohesion. Three-quarters prefer to access student services through a single, centralized platform rather than navigating multiple tools and portals, with only 12% preferring the current model of separate systems. An overwhelming 95% said they would be "somewhat likely" or "very likely" to use a unified digital platform if their institution offered one, reflecting a decisive shift in students' expectations for clarity, personalization and streamlined digital access akin to modern consumer technology.

Download the full Pathify 2025 Student Digital Experience Survey.

Pathify 2025 Student Digital Experience Survey Methodology

The Pathify 2025 Student Digital Experience Survey was conducted in partnership with Thrive Analytics in September 2025 and includes responses from 1,010 U.S. college and university students across various types of institutions, class levels and learning modalities. The study examines the relationship between digital system fragmentation, student satisfaction, sense of belonging, academic outcomes, and retention risk.

About Pathify
Pathify is redefining how higher education connects with its communities through the Campus Experience Platform (CXP) — the new technology category unifying engagement across the entire student lifecycle. From prospect to alumni, Pathify helps institutions simplify technology sprawl, strengthen belonging and deliver personalized, modern experiences that drive enrollment and retention. Its cloud-based, system-agnostic platform integrates with hundreds of systems to connect people with the information, resources and communities they need anytime, anywhere. Led by former higher ed executives and technology leaders, Pathify operates on the core values of Impact, Wit, Contrast, Technique, and Care. Learn more at pathify.com.

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SOURCE Pathify