Trends for Higher Education

Within the world of higher education, what are some of today’s key trends—and what are some implications for institutions of higher learning? While the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn much of our focus for a year now, we continue to keep our eyes on other trends and forces. This issue broadly explores trends inside higher education.

We’ve organized Trends using STEEP:

• Social: How people think, behave, and interact, including beliefs, values, culture, and lifestyle


• Technology: How people use technology (including hardware and software), how society relies on technology, and how technology affects society


• Economic: Macro- or microeconomics, including global trends, anything related to jobs and skills needed for jobs, and industry shifts


• Environmental: Our external surroundings, including sustainability and our evolving workplaces, cities, and living spaces


• Political: Public policy, governmental systems, the people within them, and the effects of government decisions on our citizens and communities

Each trend includes a brief trend summary, a footnoted source, and discussion questions to help you analyze and act on the trend.