Login Friction Is Enrollment Friction — Why Identity Impacts Student Retention
Students rarely think about identity systems—until they don’t work. Every extra login, password reset, or access issue creates friction that pulls attention away from learning.
And in higher education, friction matters.
Login issues tend to surface at critical times: registration, the first week of classes, exams, or financial aid deadlines. When access fails, frustration escalates quickly. A 2024 study by Collegis Education, Inside Higher Ed, and Times Higher Education found that 31% of students rated accessing and logging into systems as difficult14—the lowest-rated task in the survey. More concerning, 41% of students who experienced technical issues said those problems could impact their decision to enroll for another term.15
Adult Learners Feel it Most
For students over age 46, that number jumped to 55%.16 These learners often balance school with work and family, making technical barriers especially damaging. Technical friction isn’t just annoying—it can be a deal-breaker.
Faculty experience similar friction, compounded by the growing contingent workforce—now representing between 50% and 80% of instructors depending on institution type. Frequent onboarding and offboarding cycles increase provisioning errors without automation.
When access problems interfere with teaching, they undermine confidence—not just in IT, but in the institution as a whole.
Experience is now competitive.
Higher education no longer operates in a captive market. Students and faculty compare digital experiences across institutions and industries. Identity may be invisible when it works, but when it doesn’t, it shapes perception.
Reducing login friction isn’t about coddling users. It’s about removing unnecessary barriers to success. Purpose-built IAM platforms such as RapidIdentity help institutions deliver a consistent, student-friendly login experience while still meeting the complex access needs of faculty and staff, aligning identity with Jamf’s people-centered approach to secure technology.
Experience is Competitive
The 2025 EDUCAUSE Top 10 warns institutions not to assume students and faculty are captive audiences willing to tolerate cumbersome procedures.17 Digital experience is now a competitive differentiator.
Purpose-built IAM platforms such as RapidIdentity help institutions deliver a consistent, student-friendly login experience while meeting the complex access needs of faculty and staff.
Explore how simplifying login experiences can support enrollment, retention, and teaching success. Schedule a demo today.
This is the 4th in a series of blog posts about Identity and Access Management in Higher Education. In the 5th post of this series, learn how fixing identity fragmentation creates a solid foundation for cybersecurity and identity management. Missed the earlier posts? Check them out below:
Blog Post 1: The Hidden Costs of Fragmented Identity Systems in Higher Education
Blog Post 2: Invisible Security Gaps: How Fragmented IAM Increases Breach and Compliance Risk
Blog Post 3: The Help Desk Tax: How Identity Fragmentation Drains IT Teams
14 Inside Higher Ed and Collegis Education, "Tech Troubles: How Technology-Student Interactions Impact Retention" (2024), https://collegiseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Technology-and-Higher-Ed-Student-Retention.pdf.
15 Ibid.
16 Ibid.
17 Susan Grajek et al., "2025 EDUCAUSE Top 10 #10 (tie): Supportable, Sustainable, and Affordable," EDUCAUSE Review, October 2024. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2024/10/2025-educause-top-10-10-supportable-sustainable-and-affordable
Bryan Christ is an IT professional with almost three decades of industry experience. He has worked for a number of high-profile companies including Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and MediaFire. After serving two years in a fractional CIO role in the Greater Houston area, Bryan shifted into the identity and access management (IAM) arena and has spent the last several years focused on Higher Education.
