The Pulse of Higher Ed

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

UPCEA/Chmura Study: Occupational Shifts and Higher Education Credentials

This report illustrates a number of major occupational shifts in technology, healthcare, and other industries, and their impact on higher education. While new occupational categories are certain to arise, and existing ones may change, UPCEA and Chmura hope to shed greater light on this complex topic.

The U.S. is at a unique period in time. An aging Baby Boomer population, the unique dynamics related to maturing Millennial and Generation Z learners, technological advances, and shifting labor needs are rapidly changing the economic and occupational landscape. Taking these factors into consideration, and coupling them with the country’s deeply-rooted four-year degree model, will challenge many institutions to adopt or consider new or alternative educational models.

The major findings of this study include: 

  • Higher education enrollments are decreasing while enrollments in alternative credentialing (including certificates, badges, licenses, etc.) and associate’s degrees are on the rise.
  • Alternative credentialing is an effective way to develop “middle skills” for today’s blue- collar jobs.
  • Two of the fastest growing fields in the next decade are predicted to be healthcare and professional services.
  • Alternative credentialing’s growth is directly tied to its ability to meet the needs of adult learners, but it also has inherent value for the colleges and universities that choose to embrace it.

Click here to read the full report.

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Other UPCEA Updates + Blogs

Foreword by Bob Hansen Featured in The COLO Guidebook

We are pleased to share the foreword by UPCEA CEO Bob Hansen from the newly released Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook: A Framework for Strategy and Practice in Higher Education. The guidebook, now available from Routledge in paperback, hardback, and eBook formats, provides a comprehensive framework for today’s online learning leaders. Learn more and purchase…

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The Compensation Compass: Navigating Professional Value with the 2024 UPCEA Salary Survey

If you’ve ever set out on a hike without a map and compass, you know the feeling: creeping uncertainty about whether you’re still on the trail, how far you’ve come, and how far you have to go. In 2017, when I was walking from Mexico to Canada, the snow level in the Sierra Mountains was…

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International Student Visa Review Resumes, Social Media Vetting Instituted | Policy Matters (June 2025)

Major Updates Trump Administration Resumes Embassy Review on Student Visas, Implements Social Media Vetting Requirements The Trump Administration has lifted its pause on F‑, M‑, and J‑visa processing but simultaneously unleashed sweeping new social-media vetting requirements: all international student applicants must now make their Facebook, X, Instagram and other accounts public for consular review, with…

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UPCEA Announces Updates to Board of Directors

June 25, 2025 – WASHINGTON — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, announces recent updates to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Susan Seal, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies at Mississippi State University, has been appointed to serve as a Director At-Large, filling the remainder of the 2025–2026 term…

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Results of Global Lifelong Learning Study Released

UPCEA supported the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL)’s comprehensive global study. WASHINGTON (June 18, 2025) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today announced the release of an international study, “Making lifelong learning central to university strategy,” conducted by the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL) and CarringtonCrisp.  UPCEA (alongside EUCEN) is proud…

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New Book Offers Strategic Blueprint for the Decade of the Chief Online Learning Officer

UPCEA and Routledge Publish Landmark Guide to Elevating Online Education Leadership WASHINGTON (June 17, 2025) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, proudly announces the release of The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook: A Framework for Strategy and Practice in Higher Education (co-published with Routledge). This essential new volume, co-edited by two of the…

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