For nine years, Inside Higher Ed published an annual list of predictions known as the In-and-Out List, before taking a four-year hiatus. That ends now. In the last edition, IHE staff called 2020 “a year from hell” and a “rough year for higher ed.”
Well, that was then.
In many ways, 2025 pushed higher ed to the brink as the Trump administration found new ways to assert control over universities, crack down on international students and seek reforms long sought by conservatives.
At the same time, financial issues continue to squeeze institutions’ budgets, state lawmakers are getting more involved in curriculum decisions, and bachelor’s degree holders are seeing worsening employment outcomes in part due to generative AI, which more universities are embracing.
As another year looms, colleges and universities are bracing for yet more upheavals as they try to navigate the new normal. Time—and 2026—will tell whether the sector is resilient enough to do so.
Below, we look at the rollercoaster that was 2025 and offer our own very loose predictions for what may lie ahead. Happy 2026.