Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools Market Report 2025

The colleges, universities, and professional schools market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $1.31 trillion in 2024 to $1.41 trillion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increased government funding, an increase in the number of private colleges and universities, and government initiatives for digital learning.

The colleges, universities, and professional schools market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $1.81 trillion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to the focus on the expansion of overseas university campuses, increasing student enrollment, and increasing investments by online educational institutions. Major trends in the forecast period include companies focus on undergoing partnerships, focus on metaverse technology, implementing a learning management system in teaching and learning for an effective education system, and focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the teaching experience.

The rise in undergraduate student enrollment is anticipated to drive the growth of the colleges, universities, and professional school market. Undergraduates are students pursuing their first degree at a college or university. While there was a decline in enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic, this trend has rebounded since 2020. For instance, in August 2024, a report from HE Student Data, a UK-based central source for collecting and sharing statistics on publicly funded UK higher education, noted that in 2022/23, first-degree courses remained the most popular form of higher education, with a 2% increase in enrollments compared to 2021/22. Meanwhile, other undergraduate courses experienced a more substantial rise of 15% during the same period. Consequently, the increase in undergraduate student enrollment is expected to propel the growth of the colleges, universities, and professional schools market in the future.

Renowned universities primarily based in the United States and Europe are strategically establishing branch campuses or forging partnerships with local institutions in emerging markets, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. This initiative is propelled by the substantial demand for courses offered by these institutions, driven by their reputation for delivering high-quality education. As per the Cross-Border Education Research Team (C-Bert), an organization specializing in multinational educational information, there are approximately 247 international branch campuses operating worldwide. A case in point is the University of Nottingham, which has successfully established two branch campuses - one in Malaysia, accommodating over 4,500 students, and another in China, serving more than 7,000 students.

Major companies in the colleges, universities, and professional school market are increasingly concentrating on introducing technological programs to gain a competitive advantage. Technological programs in higher education involve utilizing technology to facilitate effective learning experiences. These programs equip students with skills to use both hardware and software to enhance their educational journey. For example, in March 2023, InterviewBit Technologies Private Limited, an e-learning platform and interview preparation website based in India, launched Scaler School of Technology, a four-year residential undergraduate program in Computer Science. This unique program, developed by the industry for the industry, aims to provide aspiring engineers with an exceptional experience in a work-integrated learning environment. Key features include specializations in cutting-edge technologies such as data science, machine learning, algorithmic trading, and competitive programming, as well as a one-year paid industry internship with leading tech companies, coupled with personalized guidance from industry mentors.

In June 2022, Mills College, a US-based university system, merged with Northeastern University. This merger not only ensures the future of Mills College but also establishes the Mills Institute, dedicated to preserving its 170-year legacy. The merged institution will continue Mills’ long-standing dedication to social justice, gender equity, and women’s leadership while broadening educational opportunities within Northeastern’s global academic framework. Northeastern University is a private research university located in the United States.

Major companies operating in the colleges, universities, and professional schools market include 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 2024. 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, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the colleges, universities, and professional schools market report are Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, France, Germany, UK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, 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.

Colleges are postsecondary institutions offering education beyond the 12th grade, providing various programs for graduate-level degrees. Universities cover a broad spectrum of academic disciplines at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Professional schools specialize in highly specific professional disciplines, offering degrees at baccalaureate or graduate levels.

The primary types of these institutions include technical and trade schools, junior colleges, higher education colleges, universities, business and secretarial schools, computer training centers, and professional and management development training. Business and secretarial schools focus on teaching office procedures, secretarial and stenographic skills, along with computer proficiency in areas such as word processing, spreadsheets, and desktop publishing. These institutions offer various expenditure types, both public and private, through online and offline modes.

The colleges, universities, and professional schools market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides colleges, universities, and professional schools market statistics, including colleges, universities, and professional schools industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with colleges, universities, and professional schools market share, detailed colleges, universities, and professional schools market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the colleges, universities, and professional schools industry. This college, university, and professional school market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

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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