Gray tracks inquiries, essentially online forms filled out by potential students interested in higher education programs. Inquiry volume had been dropping, often by double digits, for over five years. 2018 broke the trend. Inquiries increased 1.7% for the year and sprinted to the finish with a 9% rise in December.
Don’t miss our latest research and insights
AI is not just reshaping classrooms and careers, it is reshaping the physical world. A historic surge in data center construction is driving new energy demands, workforce shortages, and emerging academic opportunities that few institutions are fully prepared for. The question is not whether this infrastructure moment will impact higher education, but how quickly you will respond.
Discover the “Unplugged” movement. From the “Attention Economy” to new college majors in Ecotherapy and Adventure Education, explore why we’re escaping back to reality.
As institutions look ahead to 2026, emerging academic programs have become essential to enrollment stability and growth. The programs gaining momentum, from Creative AI and Data Analytics to health, sustainability, and the creator economy, reveal important lessons about timing, risk, and return. Grounded in real enrollment data and institutional examples, these insights show how high-impact programs often emerge by reusing existing assets and why acting early can make a measurable difference.