Challenges in Higher Education: What to Expect in 2025

Encountering challenges in higher education is inevitable. With the recent changes to FAFSA, continuing financial and enrollment recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ever-rising costs of education, it’s important for your institution to have a plan to navigate any hurdles that might arise.

In this post, we’ll discuss a few obstacles the higher education industry will face in 2025 so that your institution can better understand the challenges and prepare to rise above them. 

4 Challenges in Higher Education to Keep in Mind

Based on recent data, here are four challenges in higher education that you should be aware of for 2025. 

1. Enrollment Declines

Enrollment was a hot topic in 2024, and for good reason. FAFSA unveiled its new application, and everyone quickly learned it was full of roadblocks. These roadblocks were a deterrent for some prospective students, who either decided not to enroll in college at all or struggled to the point of frustration, postponing their decision to enroll.

Unfortunately, FAFSA isn’t the only reason for low enrollment numbers. According to the US Census, low enrollment numbers could be simply because the population of 18-year-olds is decreasing. In fact, according to the US Census predictions, this demographic of students isn’t expected to increase until the next century.

This isn’t great news for institutions focusing on marketing their degree programs to the younger population. With fewer prospective students, institutions will need to ramp up their efforts to compete against other colleges and adjust their target audience and marketing efforts to focus on older students who want a career change. 

2. Rise in College Costs

Yet again, the price of college is expected to increase during the 2024-2025 academic year. While increasing tuition costs is often necessary to generate enough revenue for operational costs, the rise in tuition poses a challenge for many current and prospective students.

The need for scholarships and grants is more prominent than ever. As an institution, you can help offset tuition costs by working with donors, whether alumni or local businesses, to provide funding opportunities to students. 

You’ll also want to advertise these opportunities well, like sending text message reminders, so your students are aware of the options available to them. 

3. AI Adaptation

Artificial intelligence is changing nearly every aspect of our lives, including higher education. From generative AI tools in the classroom to conversational AI in your student management systems, AI promises to be a game changer for many.

However, finding appropriate AI tools and adopting AI policies can be a challenge for higher education. In fact, as of April 2024, 55% of survey respondents said their institution does not provide students, staff, or faculty access to AI tools. This could be because of costs, lack of training, or lack of technology understanding. 

Although AI is a relatively new technology available for colleges and universities, institutions cannot afford to wait until later than 2025 to implement it on campus. Tools like Mongoose help provide analytical data that campus decision-makers can use to guide their enrollment and outreach efforts. With a decline in enrollment numbers, adopting AI technologies is necessary.

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4. Mental Health and Well-being of Students

Student mental health has been a topic of discussion among university leaders for a while. In 2025, the mental health and well-being of students will continue to be at the forefront of discussions. 

According to a recent Inside Higher Ed survey, two of every five students say their mental health affects their ability to focus, perform, and learn. When students are unable to concentrate, their academic performance declines, which can lead to feeling overwhelmed and depressed. Unfortunately, these feelings can be so overwhelming that they can prompt some students to drop out of their degree programs.

It will be critical that institutions continue to provide mental health resources for students. These resources can help students learn coping mechanisms and time management skills. Plus, they can help introduce students to their peers, which decreases the likelihood of loneliness. 

Not only should institutions work to provide these resources, but it’s also crucial to create a plan to promote them. Actively promoting mental health resources through text messaging or WhatsApp campaigns can nudge students to take care of themselves and participate in low-stress activities.

Navigate Challenges in Higher Education With Mongoose

Although these challenges in higher education may feel tricky to navigate, it’s imperative to proactively address them. For example, while you can’t increase the overall population of high school graduates, you can plan highly relevant and personalized marketing campaigns to reach an emerging demographic of prospective students. Consistent, meaningful conversations with prospective and current students can mitigate most of these challenges. 

Did you find this content helpful? There’s more where that came from! Be sure to check out our recent For Your Institution (FYI) podcast episode “Innovating for Higher Ed: Challenges and Solutions” for more ideas on how you can stay ahead of the higher education curve. 

Mongoose is a conversational AI platform that helps higher education institutions connect with their target audiences by using text messages, WhatsApp, AI chatbots, and live chat. To learn more about how Mongoose can transform your outreach and engagement efforts, contact us today to book a demo.

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