Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools Market Report 2026

The colleges, universities, and professional schools market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $1.37 trillion in 2025 to $1.46 trillion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of higher education enrollment, growth of public and private universities, rising demand for professional qualifications, development of standardized academic programs, increased government investment in education.

The colleges, universities, and professional schools market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $1.9 trillion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for flexible learning models, rising adoption of digital education platforms, expansion of global student mobility, growing emphasis on employability-focused education, increased use of data-driven academic planning. Major trends in the forecast period include expansion of online and hybrid degree programs, growing use of ai-driven learning analytics, rising adoption of virtual and immersive learning environments, increased focus on industry-aligned curriculum development, integration of digital credentialing systems.

The rising number of undergraduate student enrollments is expected to drive the growth of the colleges, universities, and professional schools market going forward. Undergraduate students are individuals pursuing their first degree at a college or university. During the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment across educational institutions declined; however, from 2020 onward, this trend has shown a recovery. For instance, in January 2025, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a U.S. federal government agency, total postsecondary enrollment in Fall 2023 increased by 476,522 students (2.5 percent) compared with Fall 2022, with four-year institutions reporting a 3.4 percent increase in undergraduate enrollment, adding 369,157 students and marking the first post-pandemic rise in undergraduate enrollment. Therefore, the growth in undergraduate student enrollment is expected to fuel the expansion of the colleges, universities, and professional schools market.

Major companies operating in the colleges, universities, and professional school market are increasing their focus on introducing technological programs to gain a competitive edge in the market. Technological programs in college education refer to the use of technology to facilitate effective learning in higher education. These programs teach students how to utilize technology, including hardware and software, to enhance the learning experience. For instance, in March 2023, InterviewBit Technologies Private Limited, an India-based e-learning platform, and interview preparation website, launched Scaler School of Technology, a 4-year residential UG program in Computer Science. A first-of-its-kind program created by the industry and for the industry to give aspiring engineers the best possible experience in a distinctive work-integrated learning setting. A few noteworthy features are that it offers specializations in cutting-edge, in-demand technologies like data science, machine learning, algorithmic trading, and competitive programming, as well as a 1-year paid industry internship with top tech companies with one-on-one guidance from industry mentors.

In December 2024, Perdoceo Education Corporation, a USA-based postsecondary education company, finalized its acquisition of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) for approximately $138 million (net of cash acquired). Through this acquisition, Perdoceo sought to broaden its academic portfolio and strengthen its presence in health sciences education by incorporating graduate and professional programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and related fields into its existing online and campus-based offerings. University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) is a USA-based institution specializing in graduate health sciences education, delivering advanced clinical programs and continuing professional development across multiple campuses and via online platforms.

Major companies operating in the colleges, universities, and professional schools market are University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Stanford University, Harvard University, Columbia University, Duke University, University of Chicago, John Hopkins University, Cornell University, Yale University, Peking University (PKU), Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University (ZJU), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, University of Delhi, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Nanjing University (NJU), Wuhan University (WHU), Tongji University, Beijing Normal University (BNU), The University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Heidelberg University, University of Amsterdam, University of Manchester, Charles University, Jagiellonian University, University of Warsaw, Masaryk University, The University of California System, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, University of Sao Paulo, UNICAMP - University of Campinas, Federal University of Minas Gerais, University of Buenos Aires, National University of La Plata, Imam Mohamed Bin Saud Islamic University (IMIU), Islamic University at Al-Medina Al-Monawwarah (IU), King Abdul Aziz University (KAU), King Faisal University (KFU), King Saud University, Umm AlQura University (UQU), United Arab Emirates University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Bayero University Kano, University Of Ilorin, University Of Jos., Babcock University, University Of Port Harcourt, American University Of Nigeria. Yola, Caleb University, Stellenbosch Business School, UNISA - University of South Africa - Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL), Stellenbosch University.

Western Europe was the largest region in the colleges, universities, and professional schools market in 2025. Asia-Pacific was the second-largest region in the colleges, universities, and professional schools market. The regions covered in the colleges, universities, and professional schools market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the colleges, universities, and professional schools market report are China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, New Zealand, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Turkey, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa.

The colleges, universities, and professional schools market consists of revenues earned by entities that provide educational courses to students by preparing them for careers in specific fields. Colleges, universities, and professional schools entities includes establishments such as colleges, theological seminaries offering baccalaureate or graduate degrees, military academies at college level, universities and professional schools. These establishments may be privately owned and operated for profit or not for profit, or they may be publicly owned and operated. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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