The Pulse of Higher Ed

Perspectives on Online and Professional Education
from UPCEA’s Research and Consulting Experts

Data and Insights from the State of Continuing Education 2025 Report

April 3, 2025
State of Continuing Education 2025 study coverThe 2025 State of Continuing Education study examines the evolving role of online and professional continuing education (PCE) units in higher education, focusing on program offerings, institutional support, technology integration, and collaboration across academic units.

This year’s findings highlight a growing emphasis on workforce-aligned education, with institutions increasingly prioritizing corporate training, industry credentials, and employer partnerships to meet labor market demands. At the same time, fewer online and PCE units are offering microcredentials, badges, and select certificate programs compared to 2024 and 2023, citing concerns about their labor market relevance and administrative feasibility.

Overall enrollments in online and PCE programs have declined, reaching one of the lowest levels since 2021-2022. Online and PCE units are expanding their reach to new audiences, including government, healthcare, and alumni learners, in an effort to diversify revenue streams.

While institutional support remains strong, staffing challenges have been reinvigorated, with a 10% decline in perceived adequate staffing from 2024 to 2025, signaling ongoing struggles with resource allocation. Administrative burden, market demand concerns, and time-to-market pressures continue to hinder credential expansion, while persistent struggles with technology integration limit real-time data access and collaboration. Though widely recognized as hubs of academic innovation, online and PCE units are still striving to reach full academic parity within their institutions.

The 2025 study expanded beyond what had traditionally been a North American focus to incorporate a more global perspective. This shift broadens the understanding of continuing education practices but also may introduce changes to baseline data, requiring a fresh lens when comparing trends over time. The 2025 state of continuing education research signals a broader recalibration within higher education, as institutions experiment with new program models and business strategies to stay relevant and resilient.

Key findings from the report include:
  • Collaboration with online and PCE units for continuing education has increased, but administrative burden remains a top challenge.
  • 5,500: Median online and PCE unit enrollment
  • 8%: Increase in collaboration with other units, schools, or colleges for CE programming
  • 48%: Agree it is easy to access real-time enrollment data

Download the study today.

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