An article from Higher education’s outlook for 2025

We’re rounding up the trends, policy changes and legal shifts that college and university leaders could face in the year ahead.

Published Jan. 31, 2025 Natalie Schwartz Senior Editor

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People walk on the campus of the University of Southern California on March 21, 2024, in Los Angeles, Calif. Mario Tama / Staff via Getty Images

 If January is any indication, major changes are likely coming to the higher education sector in the year ahead. President Donald Trump has taken executive actions during the first two weeks of his second term that could have big impacts on diversity and equity initiatives, immigration and Title IX, the federal law barring sex-based discrimination in federally funded colleges. 

But those aren’t the only shifts that colleges are facing. Many institutions are grappling with financial strains, and the year ahead could bring challenges that are difficult to plan for, such as climate disasters, federal policy changes and cybersecurity attacks. 

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This year also marks the expected peak in high school graduate numbers, between 3.8 million and 3.9 million, according to projections from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Colleges will need to prepare their budgets for the expected decline in these students in the years ahead — a 10.3% drop by 2041, WICHE estimates. 

The courts could also disrupt the higher ed landscape during the year. Lawsuits working their way through the legal system have targeted everything from Biden-era regulations to the academic publishing industry. 

Below, we’re rounding up our outlooks for 2025 to help guide higher ed leaders through the year ahead. 

• 6 higher education trends to watch in 2025 By Natalie Schwartz, Laura Spitalniak and Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 9, 2025

  College leaders will likely grapple with budgetary strains, federal policy shifts and continued enrollment challenges in the year ahead. Read the full article ➔

• How 4 of Trump’s policy actions could impact higher education in 2025 By Natalie Schwartz, Laura Spitalniak and Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 31, 2025

  The new administration has undertaken a flurry of executive actions during its first two weeks that could bring major changes to the sector. Read the full article ➔

• 5 higher education lawsuits to watch in 2025 By Ben Unglesbee and Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 29, 2025

  From Biden-era policies under fire to an antitrust suit against academic publishers, 2025 could see major legal waves. Read the full article ➔

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