This report identifies key demand-side trends in the higher education industry that can help enterprises fine-tune their digital strategies. It also provides an overview of enterprise challenges in this industry based on Avasant’s assessment.
The higher education industry is responding to financial pressures, enrollment volatility, and rising cyber threats by accelerating digital transformation across academic and administrative functions. AI, advanced analytics, and immersive technologies are being deployed to enhance student recruitment, personalize learning experiences, and improve retention. As hybrid learning becomes the norm, universities are modernizing legacy infrastructure with cloud-native platforms to ensure scalability, interoperability, and seamless data exchange. At the same time, institutions are leveraging digital tools, such as virtual assistants, AI-powered chatbots, and AR/VR applications, to deliver more personalized, data-driven engagement. With increasing exposure to digital systems, cybersecurity has emerged as a strategic imperative, prompting the adoption of zero-trust architectures, AI-driven threat detection, and cross-sector collaboration to strengthen resilience. Finally, sustainability is also becoming central to institutional strategy, with investments in IoT, real-time analytics, and smart campus solutions aimed at reducing emissions, optimizing energy use, and aligning with global climate goals.
The Higher Education Digital Services 2025 Market Insights™ aids higher education enterprises in identifying important market trends and challenges for any digital project they take part in.
The industry insights presented in this report are based on our ongoing interactions with enterprise CXOs and other key executives, targeted discussions with service providers, subject matter experts, and Avasant Fellows, analyst insights from primary and secondary research, and lessons learned from consulting engagements.
About the report (Page 3)
Executive summary (Pages 4–7)
Demand-side trends (Pages 8–13)
Key contacts (Page 14)
Read the Research Byte based on this report. Please refer to Avasant’s Higher Education Digital Services 2025 RadarView™ for detailed insights on the service providers and supply-side trends.
Avasant’s research and other publications are based on information from the best available sources and Avasant’s independent assessment and analysis at the time of publication. Avasant takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any error/omission or the accuracy of information contained in its research publications. Avasant does not endorse any provider, product or service described in its RadarView™ publications or any other research publications that it makes available to its users, and does not advise users to select only those providers recognized in these publications. Avasant disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. None of the graphics, descriptions, research, excerpts, samples or any other content provided in the report(s) or any of its research publications may be reprinted, reproduced, redistributed or used for any external commercial purpose without prior permission from Avasant, LLC. All rights are reserved by Avasant, LLC.
Login to get free content each month and build your personal library at Avasant.com
