Higher Ed State of the Sector
Higher Education Stands at an Inflection Point
This moment in higher ed’s history is defined not by a single shock but by the cumulative weight of many. Political volatility, financial strain, demographic headwinds, and rapid advances in AI now reinforce one another, accelerating pressures that have been building for more than a decade. What once felt like slow drift has given way to a converging set of forces reshaping long-standing assumptions about value, demand, and institutional sustainability.
Now, higher ed leaders must ask themselves: Is our institution positioned to thrive?
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Download the Report
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View the Video Broadcast
The Four Fronts of Upheaval
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FRONT 1: External Accountability
Adapting to tenuous public support and heightened political scrutiny.
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FRONT 2: Financial Sustainability
Confronting business model strain amid dual revenue and cost shocks
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FRONT 3: Market Relevance
Preparing students for an AI-transformed knowledge economy
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FRONT 4: Institutional Agility
Driving campus change to unlock opportunity in a disrupted sector
What Leaders Are Saying About this Year’s State of the Sector
EAB Resources to Support Your Decisions
External Accountability
- Tool: Federal Policy Status Index
- Case Study: The Anchor Institution Advantage
Financial Sustainability
- Tool: Revenue Growth Opportunity Analysis
- Executive Brief: Aligning Institutional Budget Models to Strategic Goals
Market Relevance
- Tool: Employer Demand Profiles
- Infographic: Unlocking AI’s Potential in Higher Ed
Institutional Agility
- Diagnostic: Evaluate Your Change Management Approach