Educause 2025 Horizon report reveals the complex trends altering higher education
An annual report published last week shows that higher education is being moved not by a single trend, but a complex admixture of shifting factors, including social changes, technological trends, economic trends, environmental changes and political happenings.
Inclusive learning environments are on the rise. Virtual reality is being adopted with growing regularity. New technologies are providing new ways to document student success. Governments are expanding green energy subsidies. But amid it all, there’s uncertainty in how technologies will be regulated in higher education institutions.
“Higher education is at a crossroads, shaped by converging global crises, rapid technological change, and shifting cultural and policy landscapes—all amid deep uncertainty,” Educause researcher Nicole Nuscanell said in an emailed statement. “This year’s Teaching and Learning Horizon Report features just-in-time updates to reflect fast-moving developments and underscores the need for institutions to navigate this complexity with adaptability and purpose, reimagining teaching and learning for a rapidly changing world.”
As with past Horizon reports, Educause this years outlines in the 55-page report for 2025 a birds-eye view of the major factors affecting institutions across the country. The data, which draws from the expertise of a multidisciplinary panel, uses methodology developed by the Institute for the Future to bring readers the most current and reliable information available.
“Technological advancement, particularly in AI and virtual reality, is reshaping how students engage with content, how cognition is understood, and how learning itself is documented and valued. Political and regulatory landscapes are evolving in ways that both challenge and redefine the role of higher education,” the report reads. “Taken together, these forces form a backdrop of a field that no longer enjoys the luxury of being able to evolve slowly.”
The full report can be downloaded for free from Educause’s website.
