Pathify has released results from its 2025 Student Digital Experience Survey, revealing widespread frustration among U.S. college students over fragmented campus digital systems.

These systems increase stress, hinder academic performance, and weaken students’ sense of connection. Pathify is the only higher education provider offering a Campus Experience Platform (CXP).

Drawing on responses from more than 1,000 students, the survey points to a growing disconnect between the seamless digital experiences students expect and the patchwork of portals, apps and links used by many institutions.

Findings underscore rising pressure on colleges to adopt 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 Undermines Students’ Academic and Emotional Well-Being

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.

Exceptional Digital Experience Drives Institutional Approval 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, personalisation and streamlined digital access akin to modern consumer technology.

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.