As artificial intelligence begins to permeate everything, readers paid special attention to University Business’s forecasting around the future of higher education.
Stories focused on how AI is influencing back-end operations, student life, instruction and the workforce comprised some of this year’s most popular stories.
Our extensive coverage of how President Donald Trump has impacted the sector during his first year in office was so popular that we created a separate list. Catch up on his policy here.
Here are the 15 most popular stories from University Business’ website for 2025:
1. ‘Radical shift’: New laws are placing limits on higher ed
The Trump administration’s efforts to restrict funding, DEI programs and international student enrollment have grabbed headlines. But moves by legislatures in some 26 states have been “just as devastating.” Read the story.
2. College closures and mergers (running article)
Small private regional institutions dependent on tuition revenue are the most likely candidates to end up on this list. Read the story.
3. See which universities are shattering their enrollment records
Numerous four-year universities have set new enrollment records this fall semester, including for first-year students.
Like last year, institutions across the South are smashing their enrollment targets. Read the story.
4. How these 3 new presidents are approaching their first fall semester
University Business sat down with three new presidents who represent different sectors of higher education and identified some elements they shared in one of the most demanding jobs in the country. Read the story.
5. How revolutionary workforce changes can energize experiential learning
Experiential learning, a long-aspired-to but often neglected career readiness tool, might finally be gaining a more solid foothold on campus due to today’s workforce disruptions. Read the story.
6. Marketing and enrollment surge to gain AI’s competitive edge
As AI tools prove more effective in the workplace, higher education marketing and enrollment management offices face mounting pressure to adopt new technologies or risk falling behind.
Nearly two-thirds used AI or other emerging technology in 2025, up 15% from last year. Institutional adoption increased at a similar rate. Read the story.
7. Which states have the best community college systems?
WalletHub compared more than 650 community colleges across 18 indicators of cost and quality, including in-state tuition, student-faculty ratio and graduation rate. Read the story.
8. How new immersive tech is shaping workforce skills
Career simulation training is gaining new momentum powered by advances in artificial intelligence and virtual reality, which provide students with more responsive environments to test their technical and soft skills.
“There are platforms out there that let you simulate an experience with an AI avatar where it’s like you’re interacting with a real person,” says James Colquitt, associate dean of research and clinical simulation at the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine at The Chicago School. Read the story.
9. Here’s one list of the 30 most beautiful college campuses
The list features a handful of already iconic campuses and some lesser-known gems, including a Georgia college that is small enrollment-wise but massive in size. Read the story.
10. Here are the 20 most lavishly lucrative athletic programs
Billion-dollar media deals have propelled SEC and Big Ten universities to the top of the most lucrative college athletic programs in the country, according to valuations by CNBC.
Of the 20 universities featured on this list, 11 hail from the SEC, seven from the Big Ten and two from the ACC. Read the story.
11. Here are the 5 academic programs emerging in 2025
Through computational social sciences, researchers can now combine elements of the computer and social sciences to glean insight into our social and cultural behaviors—and predict future behaviors or potential societal issues. Read the story.
12. Computer science degrees: How demand has both reduced and improved
From 2023-2024, job postings rose by an average of 16% year-over-year in the top 10 computer science occupations. However, some fields are showing signs of market disruptions. Read the story.
13. How this AI chatbot helps students navigate their first semester
Western New England University’s newest staff member is working around the clock to check in on students and instantly connect them with the campus resources they need. Luckily, no human is losing any sleep. Read the story.
14. How microcredentials are fueling new workforce innovation (podcast)
Community college leaders can confidently boast that it’s “their turn and their time” to lead higher education in boosting student workforce outcomes, thanks to potent new microcredentials that steer learners to high-demand fields, says Lisa Larson, CEO of the nonprofit Education Design Lab. Read the story.
15. Want to future-proof your campus? Start here
How do we make our institutions stronger in a time of change? The answer is deceptively simple: develop leaders.
Every dollar spent on developing leaders pays dividends across enrollment, advancement, culture and student success. Read the story.
