New UC Irvine Study Links Podium's Global Career Accelerator to Higher Undergraduate Retention

Researchers see a 10-percentage-point increase in retention rates for Arizona State University students participating in Podium's work-integrated program.

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Podium Education released findings from independent research showing that undergraduate college students who participate in its flagship experience, the Global Career Accelerator (The Accelerator), have significantly higher college retention rates than peers who did not participate.

The Accelerator is a for-credit academic initiative that offers students work-integrated learning within their college curriculum. The Accelerator aims to boost career readiness for students by rotating participants through immersive projects and live experiences co-designed with Podium's 50-plus industry partners, including Crocs, L'Oreal, and Wells Fargo.

Through an innovative student success research partnership between Podium, the University of California, Irvine, and Arizona State University (ASU), UC Irvine researchers tracked over 350,000 ASU students across three academic cohorts from 2021-2022 through 2023-2024. The findings show that students who completed Podium's Accelerator remained enrolled in subsequent semesters at rates 6 to 10 percentage points higher than non-participants year over year.

In a matched-sample analysis, which paired nearly 3,000 participants with demographically and academically similar peers, participants were retained at 90%, compared to 86% for matched non-participants. Additionally, researchers found statistically significant improvements in retention after controlling for factors like first-generation status, Pell eligibility, online versus on-campus enrollment, race, and GPA.

"The consistency of this finding across three years and two distinct analytic methods points to the exciting results of this experiential programming," said Richard Arum, Professor of Sociology and Education at UC Irvine.

"The results of this study are promising," said Anne Jones, ASU vice provost for undergraduate education. "The ASU Global Career Accelerator helps students see how their academic experience connects to the world of work. That kind of relevance can be powerful in keeping students engaged and on track to complete their degree."

Podium's innovative platform is available to more than 1.7 million students, including over 550,000 who are Pell-eligible, across more than 100 university partners. The program is backed by leading industry partners ranging from large technology organizations like Intel to consumer brands like Procter & Gamble, to non-profits like charity: water.

Increasing demand for work-integrated college experiences is driving Podium's growth. Recent data from the Business-Higher Education Forum reports that the gap between internship interest among college students and availability is a growing concern. While 8.2M learners in the U.S. reported wanting one annually, only an estimated 2.5M high-quality internships are available.

The Accelerator was designed to close that gap by embedding real, credit-bearing work experience directly into the degree, with no prerequisites, so access doesn't depend on a student's major, financial means, or ability to relocate.

"This research is the first large-scale, independent confirmation of what we've seen anecdotally since day one — that when students get real, embedded work experience, they see a brighter future for themselves and stay in college," said Chris Parrish, Co-Founder and President at Podium Education. "We're committed to expanding our partnerships with institutions to offer more industry-integrated academic experiences to both drive stronger retention for schools and better return on investment for students."

About the Research

UC Irvine researchers Richard Arum and Jeffrey M. DeVries independently conducted and reported the study, in collaboration with Jennifer Malerich of Arizona State University, and the UC Irvine Institutional Review Board reviewed and approved it. The UC Irvine research team maintained full analytic independence throughout.

A full accounting of methodology, including cohort-specific and propensity-score-matched models, is available to download: HERE.

About Podium Education

Podium Education is the leading experiential education company partnering with universities and industry to embed scalable, real-world, high-impact practices directly into the undergraduate degree for credit. Podium works with more than 100 universities, including ASU, Penn State, and Rice, and 50+ leading industry partners like L'Oréal, OpenAI, and Wells Fargo. Podium's experiences deliver fully digital, for-credit learning that strengthens student retention, confidence, and career readiness. Students from all backgrounds gain early career experience, explore potential pathways, and build the skills and competencies employers expect through hands-on, work-based learning experiences aligned with workforce needs. For more information, visit Podium Education at www.podiumeducation.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Podium Education