Learn how AI is helping IT teams manage risk and improve resilience.
Higher education is at an inflection point. The 2026 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report identifies the forces most likely to reshape teaching and learning over the next decade — and the picture is complex. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, it’s changing relationships across campus. Institutions also continue to face mounting enrollment challenges. And emerging risks related to cybersecurity, policy reform and sustainability are compounding institutional strain.
According to the report, AI is redefining instructional design and how faculty teach. As institutions continue to shape their policies around AI use, it’s impacting student-teacher relationships in the classroom. The report notes that AI is also changing how people decide what information to trust, leading some faculty to shift the way they monitor and assess student work.
“Colleges and universities will increasingly need to help students focus on the skills underneath any tool: evaluating claims, checking evidence, explaining reasoning and verifying information,” the report states. “This requires clearer guidance on responsible AI use, as well as a shift in assessment models that value depth of understanding and thinking processes over polished output.”
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Enrollment concerns persist in higher education. Combined with the added financial strain of less funding and smaller budgets, institutions are having to get creative about how they communicate the value of a postsecondary education. Recruitment strategies are changing as institutions evolve their workforce development pathways and flexible credential and dual enrollment programs to target students with diverse interests and goals.
The percentage of organizations prioritizing IT staff skills development to enhance resilience against IT disruptions
The report identifies a number of compounding pressures that together are forcing institutions to rethink operations.
Cybersecurity and data privacy threats are growing more sophisticated, putting sensitive data at risk at a time when institutions may have less budget to protect it. On the regulatory side, new digital accessibility requirements are pushing campuses toward compliance overhauls that affect everything from course materials to institutional websites. Additionally, digital learning is emerging as part of a sustainability solution to combat the environmental impact of AI.
“Looking ahead, ongoing investment and better coordination across IT, legal, procurement, accessibility, and teaching and learning teams will be necessary so that campuses can protect data without disrupting instruction, undermining trust or creating new barriers for students,” the report states.
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