Four higher ed tech trends that can drive enrollment and retention

Just 36% of US adults have a high level of confidence in higher education. However, human care and technology solutions can help rebuild it.

That insight from a Gallup study demonstrates how U.S. higher education is struggling with a public perception problem. That figure is down from 57% in 2015, while in 2024, 32% have some confidence and 32% have little or no confidence.

The 2025 EDUCAUSE Top 10, which explores higher education trends, reveals a path forward: institutions must balance competence with care supported by strong leadership.  Based on feedback from higher education CIOs and other IT leaders, the list shows how this dual focus helps technology and data professionals restore trust by creating efficient operations and positive human experiences.

Four trends from the top 10 demonstrate how to achieve this balance. Smoothing the student journey (#3), A matter of trust (#4), Putting people first (#8) and Building bridges, not walls (#10), show how institutions earn trust through secure, accessible systems while ensuring faculty, staff and students feel supported and valued. Taking steps now can help you get ahead of these education trends and strengthen your institution's foundation of trust.

#1: Optimizing the student experience

Offering superior, personalized student services can ease the student journey, according to the EDUCAUSE Review Top 10. One objective is to make a student’s higher education experience as smooth as possible. However, limited resources are among the challenges higher learning institutions struggle with in achieving this mission.

“Initiative leaders who find external partners to learn from and work with and know how to lay the groundwork for a major change initiative will be well positioned to succeed,” wrote 2025 EDUCAUSE Top 10 panelists.

California State University prioritizes the student experience and closing equity gaps for underserved communities with its Graduation 2025 Initiative. With expertise from Unisys, the university launched improved web applications that simplify class registration and dashboards that provide insights on student progress. Students also can register for classes, check their grades and apply for financial aid on the apps. As a result of the initiative, the university increased graduation rates by 60% in three years and boosted enrollment rates.

“The Unisys solution creates a secure, analytics-driven cloud environment to integrate our information resources,” said California State University Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Steve Relyea. “It has allowed us to develop and deliver more innovative educational administrative services across all 23 campuses quickly and cost-efficiently.”

#2: Strengthening privacy and security

Public trust and data security go hand in hand. Safeguarding privacy and protecting your institutional, employee and student data requires rigorous IT security measures.

Cybersecurity must be a core competency for higher education. However, EDUCAUSE Top 10 panelists recommend balancing protection with access, something risk management, training and communication can support. Making trust in data privacy and security a priority “can foster innovation while protecting institutional and personal interests,” they wrote.

Unisys takes a data-driven, security-centric approach to higher education solutions that:

• Offers a modern, cloud-centric security model
• Protects student, faculty, staff and alumni data against attacks
• Implements cybersecurity strategies against ransomware
• Manages and prioritizes vulnerabilities
• Increases compliance and mitigates risk

#3: Providing digital access to students

Students juggle class schedules, projects, tests, their social lives and part-time jobs. They’re often on the move and expect academic and business services to be online and available at all times and via mobile devices.

The EDUCAUSE Top 10 calls out the importance of giving students access to digital resources, services and experiences. This can include flexible learning options and is easier with interoperability frameworks for data, digital access and digital protections.

“Increased digital access empowers students and institutions. Students gain more control over their education and can better integrate their academic and personal lives, potentially improving completion rates,” wrote EDUCAUSE Top 10 panelists.

Unisys is also helping universities smooth the student journey by introducing the Student Companion solution. Harnessing generative AI, this solution aims to improve student learning and progress for a better student experience. It features a multilingual, gen AI interface to open education resources (OER), specifically trained on content from comprehensive OER textbooks in multiple academic disciplines.

Student Companion benefits students by:

• Giving the university a greater incentive to adopt free and reduced cost textbooks for courses so students bear less financial burden
• Supporting students with individualized learning to help them excel in the classroom and beyond
• Answering questions on simple and complex academic topics based on vetted and approved academic textbooks
• Promoting digital equity by engaging in academic conversations in a student's preferred language
• Opening new research opportunities for how gen AI can impact teaching and learning

#4: Advancing faculty and staff experiences

Employees are crucial for thriving academic communities. Happy, engaged faculty and staff can lead to happy, engaged students. In fact, according to EDUCAUSE Top 10 panelists, “prioritizing people can be a strategic advantage in attracting and retaining top talent.” This includes promoting faculty and staff development, as well as creating a sense of belonging and trust.

Universities can put their people first by building a culture that encourages faculty to do their best work, empowers their research and satisfies their needs for upskilling and productivity tools. Prioritizing them is one step toward attracting and retaining top talent.

Drive your institution toward greater success

Higher education solutions from Unisys, like state-of-the-art cloud modernization, security enhancements, data integration and analytics, as well as emerging uses of AI, can help you deliver superior experiences. Everyone in your academic community, from students to faculty to staff, can benefit.

Solutions include:

• Unisys Device as a Service (DSS): Automate the management of your computing devices, lowering costs and supporting your faculty with secure, “self-healing” computers and software.
• Cloud service offerings: Support research activities and ensure optimal on-demand computing and storage are available for your faculty and sponsored research activities.
• Unisys Intelligence Accelerator framework: Tackle the complexities of AI and create solutions that enhance staff and faculty work. For example, you can automate repetitive tasks, such as with the Student Companion to address student questions.

The Higher Education team at Unisys sponsors EDUCAUSE and refreshes our strategies and solutions each year to match evolving campus priorities.

Explore our higher education solutions to learn how they can support your efforts or reach out to talk about how our solutions could work within your organization.