Higher education is in a season of profound change. A powerful driver of trends in higher education is the shifting needs and perceptions of students. Over the past several decades, economic shifts have made affording a college education increasingly difficult. A survey conducted by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation found that financial barriers are the most often cited obstacle keeping students from enrolling in programs. 

At the same time, students are interested in non-traditional ways to prepare for their futures. Technology, too, is expanding rapidly into every area of life, creating new expectations and novel possibilities. 

Below, we’ll look at key trends in higher education that help institutions find ways to make education more accessible and valuable while leveraging the power of emerging technology. 

Higher Education Trends

Increasing accessibility and value means giving more students opportunities to get college-level education, while ensuring that the results translate to tangible benefits. The judicious use of technology makes an important contribution to both. These nine current trends in higher education illustrate how these priorities are already shaping higher ed.

Connecting Education to Jobs

Much attention is paid to how the cost of college has increased. What about the increasing value of education? 

One of the key trends in this area has been a growing effort to connect programs more closely to careers. In certain areas, like nursing or accounting, this connection has always been clear. In others, however, students have not always seen a clear path forward. 

To address this, schools have been assessing marketplace demands and working to create programs that prepare graduates for success in the job market. This might involve giving an existing program a new emphasis or creating a new one from scratch. As a result, there has been an upsurge in programs in areas like data science, AI, digital marketing, and healthcare administration.  

Institutions are also offering expanded career center support and incorporating internships and other job-related experiences into every program. 

Using Technology to Enhance Learning

Technology has been at the center of new forms of learning that are enabling unprecedented accessibility and creating more value for students. One of the key developments has been high-quality and low-cost video conferencing. There are three other technologies, however, whose full potential is just beginning to be explored. 

The first two are virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). These technologies are similar, but the first creates a totally immersive experience while the second overlays the real world with virtual elements. Available devices are rapidly improving, opening the possibility for educators to create compelling new learning experiences ranging from high-fidelity simulations to virtual field trips. In the future, VR and AR will allow us to overcome the limitations of distance education and create classroom-like interactive environments for students hundreds of miles apart.

The third rapidly growing technology is AI for teaching and learning. Large language models like ChatGPT are powering new ways for students to receive individualized support and instruction that is adjusted to their unique needs. As these tools continue to improve, we’ll have the ability to provide one-on-one instruction, feedback, and assessment in a scalable form that will continue to advance accessibility.

Prioritizing Student Mental Health

Making education more valuable includes doing everything possible to help students succeed once they are enrolled in a program. Increasingly, schools are devoting more resources to student mental health.

According to the most recent Healthy Minds Study from University of Michigan, 38% of studentswere experiencing depression, 34% anxiety, and 13% had suicidal ideation in the past year. 

Colleges and universities are responding with a multifaceted approach. Part of the strategy is prevention, with training offered to students in areas like stress management, mental health awareness, and study skills. Another part is increasing and diversifying counseling staff to meet the growing need for professional support. Finally, many institutions are adjusting academic policies, like granting extended deadlines and more absences, to relieve pressure. 

Promoting Fairness and Inclusion

Another key trend in higher education is addressing non-financial barriers to advanced education. Students from underrepresented groups are often less likely to attend college and to complete their degrees once enrolled. In recent years, colleges have increased student support services to connect with students from diverse backgrounds. They have also sought to create an atmosphere on campus that emphasizes inclusion, so students from every background feel welcome and supported.  

The benefits of these efforts extend well beyond campus. More diverse student bodies prepare all students to thrive in an increasingly multicultural society. They help shape attitudes that promote inclusion in the workforce and other key domains. They also ensure we benefit from the talent and ideas found within every demographic. 

Making College More Affordable

One of the most discussed topics in higher education is cost. Traditional financial aid options, including federal grants and loans, help. Some schools have even been able to offer full tuition waivers to students whose household income falls below a certain threshold.

Other education providers, however, are exploring more innovative ways to address the problem. Many community college systems, for example, offer dual-enrollment programs that allow high school students to take courses for a minimal cost. These courses count toward their graduation requirements and provide college credit at the same time.  

Another novel approach is creating income share agreements. These give students upfront financial support in exchange for a fixed percentage of their income for a set number of years after graduation. 

Supporting Adult Learners

Non-traditional students, loosely defined as students over the age of 25, have become a key demographic in higher ed. Adult learners are looking for ways to increase their job qualifications or pivot to new career directions. They face unique challenges in doing so, from balancing family and work responsibilities to overcoming fears about returning to school after a long absence. 

Schools are adjusting to serve these learners by offering more flexible and streamlined ways to complete their degrees. These include expanded online options, night and weekend courses, and accelerated programs. Schools are also creating certificate programs that offer a small number of courses strategically aligned with specific, in-demand skills in areas like data analytics or cybersecurity. These programs can be completed in a matter of months and lead to a significant boost in pay and career opportunities.  

Reevaluating The Value of Traditional Degrees

Speaking of adjustments to education delivery, shifting perceptions about the value of a four-year degree is another pervasive trend in higher education. A Gallup survey found Americans’ confidence in higher education has fallen to 36%.

This shift coincides with the rise of alternate pathways to acquire career skills. Younger workers are taking advantage of focused options like boot camps and certification programs to quickly acquire skills that lead to high-paying jobs, especially in the tech sector. 

Universities are responding by offering these kinds of condensed and accelerated programs, and focusing on specific skill sets alongside their more traditional offerings. This promises to be a continued growth trend for higher education as schools find ways to adapt to the changing demands of the job market and stay competitive with newer—and often cheaper—forms of training.    

Protecting Student Data

With the trend toward integration of technology in higher education, data security is more important than ever. Schools are addressing this area to safeguard sensitive student information.

What does this involve? First, institutions are ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, especially the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This act governs who has access to student data and under what circumstances. Faculty and staff often receive training to understand what the law is and how to stay within its boundaries. 

Schools are also stepping up the resources committed to cybersecurity. They are ensuring data is stored safely and both computer hardware and networks are secure to limit access to authorized personnel. 

Incorporating Hybrid and Online Learning Models

The pandemic created enormous momentum in expanding offerings in online and hybrid models of course delivery, and this trend has only grown since then. Increasingly, online programs are being offered as options to traditional undergrads as well. 

In his recent Engage Summit keynote, journalist Jeff Selingo shared that today, a majority of students are taking at least one class online. These are traditional residential students who are living on campus. At Arizona State University (ASU), 57% of on-campus residential students take at least one online course, in addition to their in-person courses.

These new models have many advantages. They give students flexibility to tailor their schedules to their needs, especially in the case of self-paced courses that lack a fixed meeting time. For all kinds of students, on campus and off, online learning makes it easier for students to achieve their learning goals while working a job. For both professors and students, online and hybrid courses also open new ways of presenting material and grading work, including individualized content delivery powered by AI. 

Challenges remain, however. Strengths of the traditional classroom, like peer interaction and higher levels of engagement, can be difficult to replicate online. As new models of course delivery continue to grow, we’re likely to see the increasing use of technology like VR and AR to create new and compelling ways for students to interact with content.

What Challenges Arise From Current Higher Ed Trends?

For institutions trying to keep up with the rapid pace of change, these trends present a number of challenges. 

The greatest challenge is likely to be the sheer number of changes happening at once. To fully embrace just one of the nine higher education trends described above is a major undertaking. To try to get in front of them all is overwhelming. In practice, leaders need to make difficult choices about what to prioritize and how to marshall limited resources for maximum impact. 

In addition, institutions have to grapple with:

• How to balance the quality of core, ongoing operations with the need to invest in new initiatives
• How to provide the training needed to effectively use new technology
• How to help long-time educators adjust to new ways of doing things
• How to cut costs to continue operating in an increasingly competitive environment 

Conclusion

The season of change in higher education is not going to subside any time soon. We can expect technological and social trends to continue changing the sector, creating the need for further adaptation and reinvention. 

Now is the time for higher education leaders to act boldly to position their institutions for the future in response to the trends we’ve described. The rewards will be greater educational opportunity, more value for students, and enhanced learning modalities that take advantage of the latest technologies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What are the positive and negative impacts of artificial intelligence on students?

Artificial intelligence gives students more powerful ways to access information and receive personalized feedback and guidance. On the other hand, students may come to rely on the technology too heavily and fail to fully develop their own skills in critical thinking and expressing their ideas. 

How are colleges adapting to the shift toward online learning?

Colleges are adapting to the shift toward online learning by offering more courses and programs in this format, even for traditional on-campus students. Online courses allow schools to reach new kinds of students, potentially increasing their reach and enrollments.