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Trends for Higher Education

Trends Outside Higher Education | Fall 2025

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Published September 12, 2025

Integrated planning prepares your institution for change by ensuring its decisions are informed by realities in the external environment.

How is the world outside your institution changing? From the growth of microschools to the decline of digital platforms and services, colleges and universities continue to face an environment that is uncertain and rapidly changing. Learn the key trends and movements that might impact your institution.

This issue curates and summarizes 40–50 trends happening outside the world of higher education that could impact colleges and universities. Each trend includes a brief summary, a footnoted source, and discussion questions to help you analyze and act on the trend.


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



Want to go further?


  • Learn more about SCUP’s Trends for Higher Education report.
  • Related blog post: This issue of Trends includes a piece about the challenges parents experience in securing reliable, affordable childcare. We turned to Brianne Dávila, associate dean for academic programs and student success and a professor of sociology, and Giselle Navarro-Cruz, an associate professor of early childhood studies, both from Cal Poly Pomona, to gain additional insight into how cross-functional planning to support parenting students’ success is quickly becoming commonplace in higher education.
  • Related webinar recording: Jason Nicholas and Tina Dee led a dynamic conversation exploring the external forces shaping higher education in 2025, what these trends really mean for your institution, and how to act on them.

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