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.
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
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
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 · 06 · COLLABORATION
Leadership
48%
See concentrated leadership effort
Down from 58%. Cross-unit collaboration also dropped from 71% to 62%.
▼ −10 pts YoY
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%.
â–¼ −6 pts YoY
F · 03 · TALENT
Capacity
30%
Lack marketing support
Marketing, instructional design, and business development are the top three understaffed functions.
â–¼ Capacity gap
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.
âš Compliance gap
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.
â–² +0.8% YoY
F · 04 · TECH INTEGERATION
Friction
27%
Report seamless integration
Most operate with disconnected registration, finance, and outcomes systems — slowing every decision.
â–¼ vs. prior year
03
INTERACTIVE PREVIEW
Three charts.
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.
→
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.
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.
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.
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
→
✓
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
Download the full report
✓
Free · 48-page report · PDF + interactive
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.
→
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
07
CREDIBILITY
Built by the people who study this
every day.
200+
Institutions surveyed
28
Data visualizations
4
Research partners
26d
Field period
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.
Contact Information
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Toronto, Ontario M4P 2H5
(416) 480-0500
sales@moderncampus.com
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