This discussion paper explores how student success in higher education is understood, defined and supported in contemporary Irish and international contexts. It brings together international research, national policy and insights from student focus groups conducted in Ireland in 2025 to examine success beyond traditional metrics such as retention, progression and completion.

The paper presents a holistic and relational view of student success, foregrounding belonging, mattering, agency and wellbeing alongside academic and outcomes-based measures. It situates student success as simultaneously student-defined, institution-enabled and outcomes-oriented, and considers the implications of this framing for teaching, learning, policy and system-level practice.

– Supports deeper, shared understanding of student success beyond narrow performance metrics
– Provides a research-informed foundation for institutions reviewing student success strategies and frameworks
– Brings student perspectives into policy and practice discussions through qualitative focus-group insights
– Informs teaching and learning enhancement, particularly in relation to belonging, agency and wellbeing
– Supports sector-wide dialogue on equity, participation and the future of student success in Irish higher education