“Quality higher education is not a privilege for the few,but an opportunity for all who seek it.”
Higher Education Global Trends Report
May, 2026
Faced with challenges such as expanding access yet lagging completion rates, persistent inequities, centralised governance, and slow digital transformation, where should global higher education go? In May 2026, UNESCO IESALC (the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean) released the Higher Education Global Trends Report, revealing developmental imbalances and systemic pressures inhigher education worldwide.
Based on data from 146 countries, the report clearly identifies nine priority areas that demand urgent policy action.
1. Balancing expansion with improved completion rates
While continuing to widen participation, shift policy focus from “access”to “completion”, and build support systems that cover the entire learning cycle.
uDevelop flexible learning pathways: including part-time study, in‑service education, short courses, and other diversified models,to provide viable conditions for different types of learners to complete their programmes.
uStrengthen academic and progress support:establish comprehensive student services covering financial aid, academic advising, mentoring, and psychological support.
uImprove student progress tracking systems: through national Higher Education Management Information Systems (HEMIS) that enable dynamic monitoring of student learning trajectories, thereby accurately identifying at‑risk groups and enabling timely intervention.
The report emphasises that the root cause of lagging completion rates is not insufficient student ability, but institutional designs that have failed to keep pace with enrollmentexpansion.
2. Translating inclusion from commitment into practice
Extend inclusive policies from the admissions stage to the entire learning process and to graduation and employment, building a truly equitable educational ecosystem.
uEstablish an inclusive policy framework covering the full cycle of “admission- enrolment-graduation-employment”: ensuring that support does not stop once students “have entered”.
uImprove needs‑based financial aid systems: currently 62% of countries have public scholarship programmes, but most are merit‑based rather than needs‑based. Future efforts should shift toward targeted support covering non‑tuition expenses such as accommodation, transport, and childcare.
uPromote data collection and analysis disaggregated by gender, disability, geography, ethnicity, etc. so that inequalities are no longer masked by statistical averages.
The report notes that the global enrolment rate for refugees in higher education is only 9%, far below the global average of 43%. Special provisions in UNESCO’s qualification recognition conventions provide a legal basis for flexible document assessment mechanisms for refugees.
3. Strengthening governance coordination in response to systemic diversification
Build a new“government-higher education institution-society”multi-stakeholder governance structure that unleashes institutional vitality while safeguarding public accountability. The report points out that as higher education systems move towards massification, diversification, and cross-border mobility, effective coordination and steering become increasingly important.
uClarify roles and responsibilities across multi‑level governance: in federal or decentralised countries, clearly delineate the boundaries of authority between central and local governments and between government and institutions.
uStrengthen the bridging role of external quality assurance:88% of countries have established quality assurance agencies through legislation, but there are huge differences in autonomy and resources. The future focus is not “establishing agencies” but “building capacity”, especially through regional networks (e.g. ENQA, RIACES, ANQAHE) for technical assistance and capacity development.
uImprove the regulatory framework for private institutions:one‑third of students globally study in private institutions. Countries should allow private provision while establishing strict admission, licensing, and quality assessment systems.
4. Implementing institutional autonomy and academic freedom
Translate legal promises of autonomy and freedom into everyday governance practices, providing institutional safeguards for knowledge creation and critical thinking. The report stresses that autonomy and freedom are cornerstones of higher education, but legal guarantees must be translated into daily practice.
uGrant institutions substantive autonomy in key areas such as budget use, personnel appointments, and curriculum design:while establishing transparent decision‑making and accountability mechanisms, achieving “decentralisation without deregulation”.
uProtect academic freedom from erosion:the UN Special Rapporteur notes that academic freedom comprises four interdependent pillars: teaching, discussion, research, and publication. Governments, institutions, and society should jointly resist infringements on academic freedom.
uEstablish international monitoring and scholar rescue mechanisms:for example, the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE‑SRF) has supported 1,185 scholars from 62 countries.
5. Innovating financing to promote equity and sustainability
uExpand results-based / performance-based funding (PBF):27 higher education systems in Europe have adopted some form of performance‑based funding. Denmark’s “Taximeter”model links about 80% of core funding to completed credits and degrees. Such mechanisms can incentivise efficiency and quality, but need “safety valves”to protect disadvantaged groups.
uDesign precise cost-sharing and financial aid packages:Examples from Chile’s free tuition policy (covering the lowest-income 60% of households), the Philippines’Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act(tuition waiver and living allowances), and South Africa’s NSFAS (covering full costs for poor students) show that precisely targeted aid can expand participation while managing equity risks.
uAttract non‑public funds while maintaining public accountability:encourage private sector, philanthropic foundations, and social impact bonds to invest in higher education, while ensuring through legislation that the use of public funds remains transparent and equitable.
6. Human-centred digital and AI governance
Establish a digital governance framework centred on equity and human values. The report argues that digitalisation and AI bring unprecedented opportunities but also risks of exacerbating inequalities.
uAccelerate the formulation of AI ethics and usage guidelines: UNESCO adopted the world’s first Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligencein 2021, establishing principles such as proportionality, fairness, and human oversight. Countries should develop specific usage norms for higher education under this framework.
uBridge the digital infrastructure divide:about one-third of the world’s population remains offline, and internet penetration in low-income countries is only 27%. The report calls for digital infrastructure to be included in public investment in education and for regional cooperation (e.g. Africa’s research and education networks) to expand coverage.
uEnhance the digital literacy of teachers and students: although 65% of teachers recognise the potential of AI and 61% already use it in practice, 80% say their institutions lack adequate AI guidance. The report recommends making digital skills training a compulsory component of teacher professional development.
uDevelop inclusive and flexible learning pathways: micro‑credentials, online courses, and open educational resources provide new learning channels for marginalised groups.
Countries that include digitalization in their national higher education plans by region,
2024-2025
7. Improving working conditions and professional development for teachers
Build an academic career ecosystem that respects teachers, guarantees freedom, and encourages innovation. The report points out that teachers are the core bearers of quality and inclusive higher education, yet occupational stress and brain drain are eroding the foundation of the system.
uIncrease long-term and stable positions:In the United States, 68% of faculty are non‑tenure‑track or contingent; in Europe, only 56% of postdocs have long‑term contracts in academia. The report calls on governments to use special funding or incentives to encourage institutions to increase long‑term, stable academic posts.
uPromote gender and diversity among the teaching force:Globally, the share of women in higher education teaching staff rose from about 40% in 2015 to 44% in 2023, but they hold only about one-quarter of senior leadership positions. The report suggests adopting Sweden’s mainstreaming framework-integrating gender equality into all activity areas of institutions.
uInclude teacher well‑being in national plans:Fewer than 15% of countries explicitly set teacher well‑being as a policy goal. The report recommends adding specific indicators in the next round of higher education planning, accompanied by mental health support, reasonable workloads, and career development pathways.
uProvide AI and digital training for teachers:Fewer than 20% of institutions have established AI-related policies; most teachers are in a state of “no guidance available”.
Representation of women among higher education teaching personnel by region, 2015-2024
8. Fair and transparent recognition of qualifications and mobility
Make international mobility more equitable through fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory recognition of qualifications. The report stresses that fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory recognition is a prerequisite for more equitable mobility.
uEncourage more countries to ratify UNESCO global and regional recognition conventions: As of March 2026, 93 countries have ratified at least one UNESCO recognition convention, but none in South and West Asia. The report calls for increased technical assistance and policy dialogue for those regions.
uEstablish recognition mechanisms for non-traditional qualifications: New forms such as online courses, blended learning, and micro-credentials challenge traditional recognition systems. The report recommends that countries follow Article 6 of the Global Convention to develop flexible assessment standards and procedures.
uCreate recognition pathways for refugees in the absence of documents:Article 7 of the Global Convention requires states to establish special assessment procedures for refugees, even without complete documentation. Practices in Norway, Italy, South Africa, Colombia (e.g. the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees, EQPR, and the UNESCO Qualifications Passport, UQP) offer replicable experience.
uUse digital technologies to improve recognition efficiency: e‑certificates, blockchain diplomas, and online verification systems can greatly reduce fraud risks and administrative delays.
Regional distribution of countries having a national policy on the recognition of foreign
qualifications and the ratification of a UNESCO recognition convention, 2024-2026
9. Investing in data systems to support evidence-based decision-making
Strengthen data infrastructure and international cooperation to lay the foundation for evidence-based decision-making. The report concludes that the realisation of all the above opportunities ultimately depends on reliable, timely, and comparable data.
uStrengthen legal mandatory reporting requirements:The US IPEDS system requires mandatory data reporting from institutions receiving federal funding; Canada’s Statistics Act authorises mandatory collection. The report recommends bringing higher education data reporting into the scope of legal mandates.
uBuild unified national Higher Education Management Information Systems (HEMIS): integrating student, teacher, financial, graduation, and employment data to achieve full life-cycle tracking. The Association of African Universities (AAU) and the HAQAA initiative are promoting standardised indicators and centralised systems.
uEnhance data interoperability and open sharing:The report notes that fewer than half of education systems in OECD countries have system-level or institutional-level interoperability. It recommends using APIs, unique identifiers, and open standards to facilitate data exchange across platforms.
uDevelop partner capacity building:UNESCO has developed the EMIS-PATT assessment tool and a dedicated higher education module to help countries diagnose shortcomings in their data systems and formulate improvement roadmaps.
These nine priority action areas together form a roadmap towards 2030. They are highly aligned with the Roadmap for the Transformation of Higher Educationreleased following the 2022 World Higher Education Conference, reflecting a global consensus.
Editor | RENZhen
References:
[1]UNESCO IESALC. Higher education global trends report: towards inclusive, equitable and quality higher education in an internationally mobile landscape[R/OL].Paris:UNESCO,2026.(2026)[2026-06-02].https://doi.org/10.54674/IN.2026.94.
[2]UNESCO. Number of students in higher education more than doubled in 20 years, but inequalities remain[EB/OL].(2026-05-12)[2026-06-02].https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/number-students-higher-education-more-doubled-20-years-inequalities-remain.
[3]Ana Carmo. From childhood to university, economic inequality shapes life chances worldwide[EB/OL].(2026-05-12)[2026-06-02].https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/1167492.
