Tag: Landscape

  • The Changing Landscape of Internships in Higher Education

    The Changing Landscape of Internships in Higher Education

    Title: Internships Index 2025

    Source: Handshake

    The latest research from Handshake reveals a troubling reality in higher education: the internship landscape is becoming both more competitive and less accessible, particularly for students already facing systemic barriers. Based on a November 2024 survey of over 6,400 students and recent graduates, combined with job posting and application data from over 15 million students and 900,000 employers on Handshake, this report highlights key trends shaping the internship experience today.

    Internship listings have fallen by more than 15 percent from January 2023 to January 2025. At the same time, applications have dramatically increased, doubling the competition for each available position. The decline is even more severe in high-paying fields—technology postings dropped by 30 percent, and professional services postings dropped by 42 percent.

    There are persistent participation gaps:

    • First-generation college students (50 percent) lag behind their peers (66 percent) in internship participation.
    • Students at institutions classified as “inclusive” in the Carnegie Classifications (those with less selective admissions) have much lower internship participation rates (48 percent) compared to students at institutions classified as “selective” or “more selective” (70 percent).
    • Students at these inclusive institutions are twice as likely as those at selective schools to cite financial constraints as their main reason for not pursuing internships.

    These disparities are exacerbated by practical realities. More than 80 percent of first-generation students and those at inclusive institutions report struggling to balance internships with coursework or employment. The timing of internship recruitment adds another challenge, with larger employers typically concentrating on hiring in fall and winter while smaller employers tend to recruit later into the spring.

    Yet internships remain transformative experiences when students can access them. Among those who have completed internships, 56 percent report that the experience was essential in making progress toward their career goals and 79 percent say the experience had a moderate or significant impact on their interest in working for that employer. Of students who haven’t yet participated in internships but hope to do so, 59 percent believe internships will be essential to clarifying their career goals.

    Quality of experience matters as much as access to the opportunity itself. Students who felt fairly compensated were more likely to accept a job offer from that employer (82 percent) versus those who felt underpaid (63 percent), and over half (58 percent) report that mentorship had a major influence on their desire to work for their internship employer.

    Internships have long been a critical bridge from college to career, offering more than just a line on a resume. By investing in robust internship programs, we not only nurture individual potential but also cultivate a dynamic, forward-thinking workforce prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s workplace.

    To read the full report, click here.

    —Alex Zhao

    If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

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  • How to Be Proactive in an Evolving Higher Education Landscape

    How to Be Proactive in an Evolving Higher Education Landscape

    How can you make the future of your campus more clear and sustainable?

    As colleges and universities continue to rise above the challenges brought on by the pandemic five years ago, it has become clear that the new normal for higher education demands more than resilience—it requires strategic foresight and proactive leadership. Institutions today must navigate shifting policies, demographic changes, public sentiment, natural disasters, economic pressures, compliance mandates, safety concerns, talent turnover, operational efficiency demands, and increasing pressure for measurable results.

    Is your institution prepared to proactively face these challenges, knowing that disruption is not just possible but highly probable?

    • Will your strategic plan ensure financial sustainability if events on the scale of the pandemic disrupt your revenue streams?
    • Does your current enrollment strategy include innovative approaches to capture new market share despite declining numbers of prospective students?
    • Is your institution leveraging artificial intelligence to drive innovation and efficiency?
    • Does your academic master plan align with program demand, employer talent needs, and student success outcomes?
    • Can your organization prioritize limited resources effectively and use data to inform critical budget decisions?
    • Do your stakeholders understand that your institution’s reputation and competitive standing depend on academic innovation, excellence, community engagement, and student success—achieved through accountability, continuous improvement, campus engagement, agility, and clear prioritization?

    If your answer isn’t a confident “YES!”, it’s time to act. Consider investing two days at RNL’s Strategic Planning Executive Forum (April 1–2, Chicago).

    Building a foundation for strategic planning in two days

    RNL quite literally wrote the book—three of them, in fact—on Strategic Enrollment Planning. For decades, RNL has guided institutions in transforming their approach and achieving their missions through a proven, data-informed strategic planning framework.

    Today, institutions discover that this framework goes beyond enrollment—it is adaptable to address every facet of university and college operations, including institutional culture, financial health, academic excellence, technology integration, student success, community engagement, branding, and institutional value. This approach aligns your institution’s goals with the realities of the evolving higher education landscape, ensuring long-term enrollment success and financial sustainability.

    While many institutions simply set goals and outline steps, true strategic planning thrives at the intersection of creativity, critical thinking, data analysis, and action. The RNL Strategic Planning Forum is designed to elevate your institution’s capacity by focusing on essential, foundational steps:

    • Analyzing your institution’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)
    • Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs)
    • Fostering a data-informed decision-making culture
    • Developing actionable strategy plans with clear accountability and measurable ROI
    • Establishing prioritization protocols by assessing risk, resistance, and required effort
    • Implementing, managing, and refreshing dynamic strategic plans through effective dashboards and processes

    What to expect at the forum

    The forum offers practical case studies and shared experiences from transformation leaders. Sessions will highlight best practices in areas such as:

    • Strategic enrollment planning
    • Institutional strategic planning
    • Academic program revitalization

    Breakout sessions will cater to specific institutional needs—whether from two-year colleges, four-year public universities, or private institutions—offering space to share best practices and tackle unique challenges.

    Institutional assessment with expert guidance

    Your leadership team will have the opportunity to complete a strategy assessment and receive live feedback from RNL experts with decades of higher education experience in:

    • Marketing and market research
    • Recruitment and financial aid strategy
    • Student success initiatives
    • Academic program planning
    • Online learning and delivery models
    • Advancement and venture philanthropy
    • Artificial intelligence applications in higher education

    Discussion and collaboration are at the heart of this event. You’ll dive into critical areas of strategic planning while engaging with industry experts, higher education leaders, and peers from other campuses. This will spark meaningful conversations within your own team, setting the stage for momentum and change.

    RNL Strategic Planning ExecutiveForum: A history of driving enrollment and revenue success

    Many institutions that have participated in this event have seen transformative results, including:

    • Record-breaking enrollment growth
    • Enhanced student outcomes
    • Millions in additional revenue generation
    • Stronger community engagement
    • Streamlined operations and improved efficiency

    Equip your institution for future-focused success

    Empower your institution with actionable insights, dynamic strategies, and the tools necessary for growth, resilience, and meaningful impact in today’s higher education environment.

    See the agenda and register for the Forum today. Bring your leadership team and ignite the discussions that will drive action and measurable results for your institution’s future. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more impactful event to propel your institution forward.

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  • A new funding body landscape emerges in Scotland

    A new funding body landscape emerges in Scotland

    Last June the Scottish government set out two proposals for changing up the funding bodies in post-compulsory education, following James Withers’ damning indictment of a “lack of cohesive approach, common purpose, or strategic narrative” in how Scotland’s skills system was organised.

    There were two options on the table, and the less drastic reshuffle has prevailed following consultation: the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) will take on all the funding responsibilities from Skills Development Scotland (SDS), which currently handles apprenticeships and training. And the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) will take further education student support off SFC’s hands, rather than being dissolved as per the other consultation option.

    We’ll be left with one funder – SFC – and one student support distributor – SAAS. SDS will still exist, retaining its careers information and guidance roles. It all sounds fairly coherent, when put like that, though open to criticism that it is simply a rejiggling of the funding system component parts (Annex B to the business case presents an exhaustive list of all the possible permutations of changes to the landscape, which some poor civil servant had to go through). Certainly from what we’ve seen, many consultation responses stressed that when it came to funding, the burning question is “how much” rather than “who”.

    Whether student support responsibilities stayed with SAAS or became a department of SFC was probably at the end of the day a somewhat moot point, and the Scottish government doesn’t bother to give any particular justification for the decision, besides it being slightly preferred by consultation respondees (44 per cent to 35 per cent). It would likely have been a whole heap of organisational work for little strategic reward.

    But let’s not underestimate the overall change that’s going to take place. We’ve now got post-school funding responsibilities all in one place within the SFC, including apprenticeships and other training – a landscape-wide role for new chief executive Francesca Osowska (who starts this week) to get thinking about. It’s a similar tertiary lens to Medr in Wales, and the kind of thing that some commentators on the English system would bite your hand off for. That said, there’s no indication that the Scottish government will think about giving the SFC freer rein to assign funding across the skills system as it sees fit – we’ll still be puzzling over itemised budgets each December covering exactly how much will be spent where, for the foreseeable future.

    Legislation to enact the changes will now arrive “in the coming weeks”, with a view to it all being in place by autumn 2026. This may prove ambitious given that there are elections in Holyrood in the interim.

    Anyone for new powers?

    The consultation also asked for feedback on changes to SFC governance (all largely welcomed by respondents), as well as on “enhanced functions” for the funding council. This wasn’t a set of proposals, but more along the lines of a call for ideas, on issues like the information that those funded need to return to SFC, or the strengthening of data collection processes (respondents unsurprisingly were pro-strengthening rather than anti-strengthening).

    But it’s worth thinking about what’s changed since the consultation was launched. The financial situation at various Scottish universities has worsened significantly (meanwhile in England the sector has been hammering its regulator for not having collected more timely financial data). Higher education minister Graeme Dey has explicitly linked possible new powers with the SFC – for oversight and intervention – to its ability to respond to university financial crises.

    So in the consultation responses we see “calls for up to date information on the financial sustainability of institutions and skills providers, and the financial health of the skills sector as a whole” – moves here would seem to chime with ministerial thinking. On the question of new powers of intervention, there’s likely to be much more pushback:

    A number of fundable education bodies, individuals and others […] did not see any need for additional powers for SFC. These respondents suggested that SFC had all of the powers required for their current role, and that proposed reforms should be implemented before reviewing the need for new powers. This was also linked to a view that implementation of reforms should initially focus on policy and support.

    Today’s announcement on the preferred rearrangement of funding bodies is not accompanied by any indication of where government policy is going on powers and duties for the SFC – this will come with the legislation, and then almost certainly be the subject of parliamentary horse-trading during the bill’s passage through Holyrood.

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  • Key Findings from the 2025 Landscape of Higher Education Report  

    Key Findings from the 2025 Landscape of Higher Education Report  

    As higher education navigates demographic shifts, new technologies, and economic challenges, institutions face a complex landscape when optimizing enrollment and meeting the evolving needs of students. The 2025 Landscape of Higher Education Report provides actionable insights that empower educational leaders to improve learning pathways and better serve the Modern Learner.

    Challenges such as the rising education costs have led to increased scrutiny of a college degree’s value, with only 47% of Americans considering it worthwhile without loans. When loans are involved, this number drops to 22%, underscoring the imperative for institutions to adapt to more cost-effective pathways.

    The 2025 Report offers a future-oriented outlook, equipping institutions with data to address gaps and better understand the evolving profile of the Modern Learner. Themes include shifting student preferences, an increased emphasis on career-aligned programs, and the need for more flexible learning pathways. In this article, explore six key findings that are molding students’ educational journeys and how these trends can enable education leaders to adapt.

    Finding #1: Flexible Pathways Drive Enrollment Growth 

    Spring 2024 saw a 2.5% increase in undergraduate enrollment, particularly within community colleges, public institutions, and associate degree-granting baccalaureate institutions (PABs). Graduate programs also saw enrollment increases, with a 3% rise. The highest areas of growth occurred among private, for-profit four-year institutions. These trends indicate a growing demand for flexible learning pathways that accommodate different student preferences and career aspirations.

    The age profile of part-time students has shifted as well, with the median age of part-time undergraduate students decreasing by nearly 2% across all sectors since Spring 2020. The shift was most pronounced at public two-year institutions, which saw a 4.2% decrease, and private accredited bachelor’s programs, which experienced a 2.8% decrease. As the age of part-time students continues to trend younger, it reaffirms that age is no longer a reliable predictor of learning modality. Furthermore, these shifting demographics emphasize the importance of embracing a Unified Enrollment Strategy that engages with Modern Learners based on their preferences and behaviors to meet them where they are with the right message, in the right place at the right time.

    Finding #2: Modern Learners are Prioritizing Practical Skills and Career Outcomes

    The emphasis on practical skills and career-readiness is reshaping Modern Learners’ educational preferences. With nearly half of Americans questioning the value of a traditional college degree, the demand for flexible, affordable, and industry-aligned options is growing rapidly. Apprenticeships have emerged as an appealing pathway for Modern Learners, offering paid opportunities for hands-on learning and gaining practical skills without the burden of taking on additional debt. 

    Over the past decade, the number of apprenticeships in the U.S. has more than doubled, from approximately 317,000 to 640,000. Sectors such as Construction and Public Administration have led this growth with 34.5% and 22.4% increases, respectively. High-growth fields like Healthcare, Finance, and Technical Services present additional opportunities for expanding apprenticeship programs, aligning well with workforce demands and students’ increasing preference for practical, job-ready experience.  

    Despite apprenticeships’ increasing appeal, accessibility poses a challenge. While 75% find apprenticeships appealing, only 29% find them accessible. Geographic location, program availability, and a lack of awareness remain barriers that can prevent students from participating. Institutions can remove these barriers through strategic partnerships with industry leaders to expand opportunities, integrate practical skill-building in program curriculums, and market available programs to raise awareness. These efforts not only meet the demands of Modern Learners by providing them with relevant skills, but also enable employers to recruit qualified candidates, making apprenticeships valuable for both higher education and the economy.

    Finding #3: Student Demand for Alternative Credentials Continues to Rise 

    Much like apprenticeships, the rising demand for alternative credentials like certificates further underscores the shifting preference towards more flexible and affordable learning pathways. As students continue to seek programs that offer practical skills and immediate benefits for their careers, certificates have increasingly become an attractive alternative to traditional degree paths. With the cost of higher education on the rise, Modern Learners are turning to certificate programs as a focused and affordable way to gain relevant skills for their desired career industries.

    Spring 2024 saw significant growth in certificate enrollments, with graduate programs seeing a nearly 10% increase and undergraduate certificates growing by nearly 4%. This growth reinforces that Modern Learners are increasingly prioritizing education opportunities that yield a high return-on-investment. Institutions can capitalize on this interest by expanding certificate offerings and making them more accessible to students through diverse modalities, competitive pricing, and aligning programs with job demands.  

    Finding #4: Dual Enrollment Programs Gain Momentum Among High School Students

    Dual Enrollment programs are becoming increasingly popular pathways, as more young learners seek flexible avenues for higher education. The popularity of these programs aligns with the growing trend of younger students engaging in part-time studies, demonstrating a trend towards more adaptable educational modalities. Dual enrollment has increased over 10% over the last year alone, adding approximately 100,000 students and accounting for nearly 28.1% of undergraduate enrollment increases. This growth presents a crucial opportunity for institutions to leverage this interest as they develop enrollment strategies going into 2025.

    Finding #5: The Some College, No Credential (SCNC) Population Presents a Growing Opportunity for Re-Engagement

    The Some College, No Credential (SCNC) population, now at 36.8 million and growing by 2.9% from the previous year, represents a significant opportunity for enrollment growth. With re-enrollment rising by 9.1% in the 2022-2023 academic year, institutions have a chance to attract students who left before completing their degrees.

    Understanding the educational preferences of SCNC students is key to tailoring outreach and support services. Popular fields of study for this group include Business and Liberal Arts at the bachelor’s level, Liberal Arts and General Studies for associate degrees, and Health professions and Business for undergraduate certificates. These areas indicate a clear demand for programs that offer clear pathways to employment. To effectively engage this population, institutions should focus on building accessible options that allow students to build upon previously earned credits, prioritize transfer credits, and offer support that enables students to advance in their chosen career fields.

    Finding #6: International Student Enrollment Boosts Institutions’ Global Appeal

    The growing population of international students enrolled at U.S. schools presents a valuable opportunity to enhance universities’ presence and grow enrollments.  These students comprise of a significant share of enrollments, particularly in Massachusetts, Hawaii, New York, and California, where they account for 4.5% to 7.8% of the student population. Most undergraduate international students are enrolled within the public sector, underscoring its position to support higher education on a domestic and international scale.

    To maximize the benefits of international student enrollment, institutions should focus on strategies that attract and retain international students while providing support services tailored to their unique needs. By integrating a comprehensive enrollment and student support system with resources like language assistance, housing support, and financial aid, institutions can boost their global appeal, create more culturally diverse campuses, and enhance their enrollment by positioning themselves as a top choice for students worldwide.

    Looking Toward 2025

    The findings from the 2025 Landscape of Higher Education Report demonstrate both the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of higher education.

    As institutions look ahead, the ability to attract and retain students across a range of educational paths requires a holistic approach to enrollment and student support services. By focusing on creating accessible, cost-effective, and relevant learning opportunities, institutions can position themselves for success in 2025 and beyond, while meeting the diverse needs of Modern Learners and driving sustainable enrollment growth.

    For more insights and actionable strategies, download the full 2025 Landscape of Higher Education Report and see how your institution can stay ahead of the curve.

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