Data science and machine learning, over the years have proven very well-organized and significant in many sectors including education. Machine learning is an aspect of artificial intelligence in which a computing system can able to learn from data and make conclusions. The recent development in education sector provides assessment tools to predict the student performance by exploring education data using machine learning and data mining techniques. Student performance assessment is an important measurement metrics in education which affects the university accreditation. Student performance improvement plan must be implemented in those universities, by counselling the low performer students. It helps both students and teachers to overcome the problems experienced by the student during studies and teaching techniques of teachers. In this review paper, different student performance prediction literature related to find out low performer student. The survey results indicated that different machine learning techniques are used to overcome the problems related to predicting student at risk and assessment of student performance. Machine learning techniques plays an important role in progress and prediction of student performance, thus improving student performance prediction system