Higher Ed State of the Sector: Executive Presentation for Campus Leaders
A customized presentation and strategy session designed to help leadership teams navigate unprecedented disruption and long-term transformation in higher education
Higher education is entering a period of profound transition. Public confidence continues to erode, demographic and financial pressures are intensifying, and AI is reshaping the early-career job market faster than institutions can adapt. Colleges and universities that understand these forces and respond decisively have the best opportunity to chart a sustainable, mission-aligned future.
EAB’s State of the Sector brings the most current national research directly to your cabinet. In a customized presentation that can be delivered on campus or virtually, EAB experts synthesize the four major fronts of disruption shaping the sector and highlight actionable strategies used by institutions that are not only adapting, but thriving.
The four fronts reshaping higher ed
This year, our State of the Sector research examines how institutions are navigating upheaval on four fronts. Click each front to learn more about what we’ll discuss with your leadership team.
Front #1: External accountability
Tenuous public support and heightened political scrutiny are redefining the social contract between higher education and society. Leaders face intensifying calls for transparency, program value, ideological neutrality, and evidence of student ROI—pressures coming simultaneously from federal agencies, state legislatures, and the public.
We will discuss:
- Why six times more Americans now say college is “not too important” compared to 2010
- How new federal directives, investigations, and accountability rules are reshaping institutional autonomy
- The emerging “rewrite” of public expectations around governance, faculty productivity, curriculum alignment, and outcomes
Front #2: Financial sustainability
Institutions are confronting dual revenue and cost shocks due to slowing demand, rising discount rates, escalating labor and facilities costs, and state budget pressures. Even small enrollment dips now trigger multi-million-dollar impacts.
We will discuss:
- Why higher ed’s high fixed-cost model makes cuts slow to realize and shocks quick to spread
- The new era of cost discipline, including academic restructuring, space caps, and shared service models
- What thriving institutions do differently: reallocating program resources, engineering cost flexibility, and controlling space growth
Front #3: Market relevance
Student and workforce expectations are evolving faster than academic portfolios. Gen Z brings new social, cognitive, and career development realities; meanwhile, AI is transforming starter jobs and reshaping what early-career readiness requires.
We will discuss:
- The rise of social isolation, shorter attention spans, and declining readiness among prospective students
- How AI is contracting entry-level job markets, raising the stakes for work-integrated learning and skills articulation
- The shift from traditional majors to T-shaped, “robot-proof” learning, requiring integrated literacies and applied learning
Front #4: Institutional agility
Transformation is needed at the same moment that campus stakeholders seek stability. The institutions gaining ground are those building cultures of urgent long-termism, resilient leadership structures, and aligned faculty workforces.
We will discuss:
- Why most change efforts stall—and how the “Staying Power Curve” predicts pushback and payoff timelines
- How leading institutions create continuity through leadership turnover
- Strategies to align governance, communication, and incentives around durable, mission-advancing decisions
What you’ll gain from EAB’s State of the Sector
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A shared understanding of the national context
Your executive team will walk away with a concise, research-backed picture of the forces shaping higher education’s immediate future.
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An institution-specific strategy conversation
EAB tailors each presentation to reflect your institution’s market position, enrollment profile, governance climate, and strategic priorities.
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A framework for cabinet-level decision-making
We introduce practical tools, such as long-range financial forecasting and portfolio discipline models, to support decisions that safeguard long-term viability.
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Clear and actionable next steps
Your cabinet will leave with prioritized opportunities across external accountability, financial sustainability, academic relevance, and operational agility.
Interested in requesting a State of the Sector presentation?
To bring your leadership team up-to-speed on the latest fronts affecting higher education, fill out the form below, and we’ll be in touch with next steps. If you are a Strategic Advisory Services partner, you may also contact [email protected] or your Strategic Leader to schedule a State of the Sector presentation for your campus. If you are not yet a partner, learn more about how EAB works with leadership teams to drive progress on top initiatives and strengthen strategy foundations for the future.
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Tune in for the broadcast premiere of State of the Sector
Join us on February 11, 2026 at 3 p.m. ET for our live presentation introducing the four major forces reshaping higher education.
Request EAB's State of the Sector for your campus
Fill out the form with your information to learn more about bringing EAB's State of the Sector presentation to your leadership team. For questions, reach out to [email protected].