How will Higher Education be different in the next 10 years?

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, we've unexpectedly entered a new age of experimentation, where these enforced shifts in our traditional education systems may lead us to an advanced and equitable landscape of education. 

The crisis-driven online education system has effectively replaced our concept of elite physical universities that have been in force for decades. 

The virtual schooling system was undoubtedly a forced shift, but due to the flexibility, affordability, and accessibility it offered, we can expect the remote learning model as the new and widely recognized infrastructure of education. 

This provides us a brief yet accurate view of how the future of education will look like in the near future. Let's have a look at the change-drivers and influential factors that will shape the higher education landscape.

3 Ways Higher-Ed Will Change By 2030

1.    Online Education Will Continue to Thrive

COVID-19 caused many universities and colleges to reform and recreate their education management strategies in contrast to the online learning spectrum. 

The future of higher education tends toward an education model where virtual reality technology and communication will be a crucial part of the education terrain. 

What makes this system easily adaptable is the fact that one-third of the higher education students are already involved in online learning. Moreover, the evolving technological economy increases the demand for educators to incorporate online learning, experiential learning & teaching into the education model.

In a nutshell, the future of education will be based on combined learning that will enable students to engage in affordable learning irrespective of the time-zone or location the student belongs to. 

The number of online students has been rising from before the pandemic, but COVID-19 significantly uplifted the numbers. 

Since the global eLearning market is anticipated to grow by 8.8%, reaching US$135.9 billion, we can estimate the future of education merged with online education. 

2.    Replacement of The Traditional Education Model 

To survive the educational disruptions, universities and institutes must instill and transform their traditional curriculum into an innovative and accessible digital model. Universities who intend to go back to their traditional models are more likely to fall behind the competitive and dynamic institutions that are developing new digital pedagogies. 

It's time for colleges and universities to extend their educational opportunities by diversifying and transforming their curriculum to shrink opportunity gaps and foster academic excellence. 

By turning to the affordable online education system, educators and universities can ensure to deliver education to students belonging from different parts of the world irrespective of their race and financial backgrounds.

Thus, online education will further enable educational bodies to break the educational disparities and eliminate discrimination. 

In the next 10 years, there will be nearly 380 million students enrolled in universities worldwide, reflecting an average growth of 4.2%.  

3.    The Need for External Funding Will Rise 

Many universities in the US have been heavily dependent on federal funding. In addition to this, most of the higher education institutions across the globe depend on their governments for funding. But the declination in enrolment rates is an indicator of the emerging requirements of alternate funding options for education management. 

The need of the hour for educational institutions is to explore more financing avenues. This can be done by expanding the faculty research programs as it will attract organizations that are interested in contributing the funding for research and development programs. 

Recent data from UNESCO shows that the world is focusing on increasing government findings for education.  

The Future 

In the ever evolving and dynamic education landscape, higher education remains a critical force in driving the economy of a country. Ever since the Second World War, there's been exponential growth in higher education, evolving from an elite education system to an accessible or mass-participation system.

In the coming years, we expect to see a world where higher education would no longer be a matter of privilege but an accessible resource to each student in the world. Together, all these shifts are influencing the growth in higher education.