Universities & Big Data

We know that companies use big data and analytics, but did you also know that universities use and need it too? In a recent article published by timeshighereducation.com, it explains how colleges and universities use big data internally and externally. Mark Becker, the president of Georgia State University knew he had a daunting task when it came to delving into the world of big data, but he recognized that it was something important. Student retention and graduation rates were not doing so well and through big data it was apparent that students were collecting credits but not getting any closer to graduating. “The data include which courses students have signed up for, and their attendance records and grades.”

“The results were immediate. “We saw fewer students dropping out and improved graduation rates within the next year,” says Becker. The average time to graduation for Georgia State students has fallen by half a semester, saving those who graduated in 2016 $15 million in tuition fees compared with the class of 2012. And every 1 per cent increase in student retention generates an additional $3 million return on investment for the university.” (timeshighereducation.com article) Becker noted that all this was possible because of big data.

Read the article here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/how-do-universities-use-big-data#survey-answer