Career Development Interventions and Student Success in Higher Education

Abstract

This report reviews selected research from vocational psychology, higher education, and career counselling literature examining the impact of career development interventions on student success. Evidence is synthesized across five domains: vocational identity development, academic retention and graduation, postgraduation employment outcomes, equity and support for diverse student populations, and mental health and well-being. Findings consistently demonstrate that structured career development programming produces meaningful gains across all five areas, with particular significance for students from equity-deserving communities, and that embedding career development systematically into the student experience produces stronger outcomes than voluntary or ad hoc provision.