2024 Outlook for Higher Education – the Year of Continued Transformation

Much like every year since the Pandemic, 2024 is poised to be one of transformation for higher education institutions across the globe, especially for those with aspirations of prestige and excellence. In fact, those aspirations, and a robust strategy to fulfill them, is what could make the difference between sink and swim in today’s VUCA (volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous) environment.

Key trends affecting higher education in 2024

The drivers affecting higher education are similar to previous years, but perhaps more intense and sophisticated, and with more complex implications. The “existential crisis” affecting higher education since before the pandemic will push institutions to rethink their raison d'être and continue to prove their relevance, both on an individual basis and as a sector.

At a macro-level, the rise of AI, geo-political conflict, economic uncertainties and high living costs, legislative changes, and en-masse elections (65 countries including the US, UK and European Parliament) will continue to shape student mobility and funding for higher education.

Although the US has almost reached pre-pandemic numbers of international students, with China still topping the list, the number of Chinese students in the US continues to decline. An important trend to note is the global decline in Chinese students studying overseas, on a background of slow economic growth, political tensions between China and the West, but more interestingly, high quality education closer to home.

The UK has weaker chances of reaching pre-pandemic levels of international students – Brexit, inflation and high cost of living has made the UK a less attractive study destination. This trend will continue to grow, especially with stricter visa regulations, aimed at curbing immigration. In the US, government changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form will open college education for 1.5 million students, including over 610,000 students from low-income backgrounds.

A journey of transformation for Higher Education

with over £2 billion ($2.5m) losses in the UK and lowest enrollment numbers on record in the US, it is fair to say that the sector is going through an “existential crisis.” It started well before COVID, with many questioning the role of higher education, the value it delivers versus the cost of postgraduate debt, especially as knowledge and learning is so much more accessible thanks to technology.

The pandemic was a catalyst for this trend, and a catalyst for technology update in education delivery, which paradoxically is now undermining the perceived value of higher education.

To survive, and even thrive in this crisis, institutions must spend a lot more time understanding the real world of the people they want to attract and meet the students where they are. And where they are is online:

70% of students prefer hybrid or fully digital courses, 61% of students spend 3 hours or more on social media, and teenagers (11-17) check their phone more than 100 times per day. (Source: Inside Higher Ed).

Today’s students are not only digital natives, but also social media natives. They are the children of Millennials, fully born in the 21st century, with exposure to digital devices from birth. They have shorter attention spans, on-demand entertainment and learn not by doing, but by watching. (Source: McCrindle).

Sustainable future-proof foundations

With falling public confidence in higher education, institutions need to reframe their value proposition for young people, discover their unique identity and competitive edge, and find new operating models that reflect market conditions. This means reforming curriculum and courses to match current interests and labor market demands, streamlining operations through technology and AI to reduce costs, and expanding access to more students on and off campus.

Going to college or university does not have to involve physical presence on campus, and institutions’ most prized assets do not have to be brick and mortar. Their IT infrastructure and ability to facilitate access to knowledge, tools and experiences will play a growing role in the sector transformation.

Make friends with Artificial Intelligence

AI has been likened to Pandora’s box. Generative AI, intellectual property and plagiarism have dominated a negative AI narrative in higher education. Whilst that remains a challenge, especially in a traditional educational model, many opportunities await if the sector is willing to move beyond this binary narrative and invest in developing expertise and regulations.

A digital-first mindset

The pace of technology development puts pressures on institutions to keep offering high performing computing, which can be costly and wasteful. When their world is online and their device is part of their identity, students will expect their college to follow course. For instance, a robust BYOD (bring your own device) policy, with strong risk management and governance frameworks has enormous benefits both for students and institutions. It reduces the cost of purchasing and maintaining IT infrastructure that becomes obsolete sooner than ever before, it gives students the freedom to learn from anywhere, and it allows institutions to enroll more students while maintaining the same experience.

The technology available through companies like AppsAnywhere does just that. It enables institutions to manage the unpredictable number of enrolments from year to year, integrate hundreds of apps and software through the cloud or on-premise and scale software delivery to any device, on or off campus, including student owned.

This year, we will explore some of these issues in more depth, so stay tuned!

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