Continuing education is moving fast.
Most institutions
A new survey of 200+ continuing education and PCE leaders
reveals a widening gap between strategic ambition and
operational capacity — from Workforce Pell readiness to data
integration and team staffing.
01
The opportunity
The market is expanding.
The operational gap is too.
Workforce-aligned learning is becoming a strategic priority for nearly every
institution. But three structural pressures are slowing execution — and most
leaders are underestimating how quickly they're compounding.
Workforce Pell is here
Institutions plan to expand workforce-
aligned programs in response to Workforce
Pell — but most aren't equipped to meet new
federal data reporting and outcomes-
tracking requirements.
42%
not ready for Pell-related data reporting
Data is still siloed
Fewer than one in three units report seamless
integration between continuing education
systems and main campus technology. Real-
time enrollment data access has declined
year over year.
27%
have seamless system integration
Teams are stretched thin
Marketing, instructional design, and business
development emerge as the most under-
resourced functions. Growth ambitions are
outpacing the people available to deliver
them.
30%
lack marketing support to drive growth
02
Key findings
Six numbers that should change your 2026 plan.
Drawn from a 2026 survey of online and PCE units across the U.S. and
Canada. Each finding maps to a budget conversation that's likely happening
at your institution right now.
F · 01 · Enrollment
Recovery
16,046
avg. enrollment
Slight recovery, still below peak
Up from 15,925 last year — but well behind the pre-
pandemic 18,940 high.
▲ +0.8% YoY
F · 02 · Workforce Pell
Risk
42%
Not prepared for new reporting
Nearly half of institutions planning to expand workforce
programs aren't ready for the data demands.
⚠ Compliance gap
F · 03 · Talent
Capacity
30%
Lack marketing support
Marketing, instructional design, and business
development are the top three understaffed functions.
▼ Capacity gap
F · 04 · Tech integration
Friction
27%
Report seamless integration
Most operate with disconnected registration, finance,
and outcomes systems — slowing every decision.
▼ vs. prior year
F · 05 · Credentials
Trust
62%
Trust credentials signal skills
Down from 68% last year. Confidence in AI's role in
validating credentials fell to 52%.
▼ −6 pts YoY
F · 06 · Collaboration
Leadership
48%
See concentrated leadership effort
Down from 58%. Cross-unit collaboration also dropped
from 71% to 62%.
▼ −10 pts YoY
03
Interactive preview
Three charts.
One story.
A preview of the data inside. The full report includes 28 interactive
visualizations across enrollment, systems, credentials, and workforce
alignment.
Want all 28 charts and segment-level breakdowns?
Full methodology, demographic cuts, year-over-year comparisons.
→
Get the full report
04
What this means
Translating insights into
Four moves that separate institutions positioning to lead from those falling behind.
01
Enrollment
From broad outreach to
audience-specific
acquisition
Growth in alumni, government,
and corporate audiences means
breadth is being replaced by
partnership depth. Define your
three priority segments and build
acquisition systems around them.
02
Systems
Close the integration gap
before Pell does it for you
Registration, finance, and
outcomes data must move in real
time across CE and main campus
— or every reporting cycle
becomes a manual scramble and
compliance risk.
03
Workforce
Treat employer alignment
as a portfolio strategy
Microcredentials, stackable
pathways, and partnerships are
table stakes. The differentiator is
governance: who approves
programs, how fast, and against
what labor signals.
04
Data
Make outcomes visible —
or watch budgets shrink
Institutions that can show timely,
integrated outcomes data will win
budget, partners, and learner
trust. The rest will be relegated to
slow approvals and reactive
reporting.
05
How Modern Campus helps
From insight to
infrastructure.
The findings in this report describe gaps. Modern Campus is built specifically
to close them — purpose-built for continuing education, workforce, and
lifelong learning units.
Continuing education runs on a different
operating model.
Traditional SIS platforms weren't built for non-credit programs, rolling
enrollment, employer contracts, or stackable credentials.
Modern Campus is.
Our Lifelong Learning platform powers continuing education at hundreds
of institutions across North America — handling the messy reality of CE
registration, finance, marketing, and outcomes reporting in one connected
system.
1,700+
Institutions served
12×
Stevie Award winner
100%
Built for higher ed
See how it fits your institution
→
✓
Workforce Pell-ready reporting
Compliance
✓
SIS, CRM & finance integrations
Integration
✓
Stackable credential management
Programs
✓
Employer & corporate contracts
Partnerships
✓
Real-time enrollment dashboards
Data
✓
Marketing automation built-in
Growth
✓
Free · 48-page report · PDF + interactive
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full report.
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06
For institutional leaders
Want to know where your
institution actually stands?
Skip the survey. In 15 minutes, a Modern Campus strategist will
walk you through where your institution sits on the four critical
readiness dimensions — and where the highest-leverage moves
are for your 2026 plan.
Book a readiness review
→
15-minute call · No pitch
Your readiness review covers:
1
Where your institution maps to the 2026 readiness benchmark
2
Your top 2 gaps relative to peer institutions of similar size
3
Workforce Pell preparation checklist tailored to your setup
4
The 3 moves with highest ROI based on your priorities
Reserve a time
→
07
Credibility
Built by the people who study this
every day.
Partners
Four organizations. One source of
truth.
Modern Campus, The EvoLLLution, UPCEA, and
CAUCE collaborated to survey 200+ continuing
education and PCE units across the U.S. and
Canada.
Authors
UPCEA Research & Consulting
Emily West
Senior Market Research Analyst
Scott Hinty
Market Researcher
Shauna Cox
Editor-in-Chief, The EvoLLLution
Methodology
In-depth survey, peer-validated.
Fielded Jan 13 – Feb 8, 2026. Coordinated
outreach to members of UPCEA, The
EvoLLLution, and CAUCE with safeguards to
prevent duplicate participation.
200+
Institutions surveyed
28
Data visualizations
4
Research partners
26d
Field period
Helping higher education engage modern
learners through the entire lifelong learning
journey.
Research
2026 Report
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EvoLLLution
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