Webinar

Monthly Demand Trends
in Higher Education

Every month, we release the latest data on a free webinar. Gray DI covers on-campus and online programs ranging from bachelor to doctoral degrees. Gray DI’s data includes academic program student enrollment, Google search volumes, job postings, and international and non-degree demand.

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Meet Our Speaker:

Bob Atkins
 Founder, Gray DI

Bob led Gray DI’s entry into the education industry and the development of Gray DI’s proprietary industry databases and service offerings. He has worked directly with many of Gray DI’s education clients, consulting with CEOs and CMOs on business strategy, pricing, location selection, curricular efficiency, and program strategy.
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Highlights from May

AI Search Transition Continued:
Google search volumes for academic programs fell 33% year-over-year. This drop indicates a structural transition where users are switching from traditional keyword search to AI-based search tools, rather than a true decline in student interest.

Continued Arts & Design Momentum:
Arts and design programs maintained their surprising growth, landing in the top 10 for several consecutive months. Specific standouts include drafting and design tech (up 161%), 3D modeling (up 68%), and dance (up 9%), which are remarkably strong growth numbers given the overall 30% drop in average keyword search volumes.

Deep Freeze in International Demand:
Total overseas student interest in US higher education plummeted 22% last month, compounding a sharp decline from the previous year. This decline represents an estimated annual decline of $5 to $10 billion for the higher education sector.

The Massive Financial Drain of Course Failures:
Data aggregated across 35 colleges revealed that DFW rates (students receiving a D, F, or Withdrawal) are draining revenue. Freshman requirements and general studies courses, like entry-level English and math, account for a collective $400 million a year loss across just those schools because roughly 50% of failing students ultimately drop out entirely.

The Eclectic Reality of Career Outcomes:
A deep dive into college graduate profiles reveals that the linear relationship between majors and exact-matching jobs is a fallacy. For example, English, psychology, and communications majors all routinely funnel into high-volume roles like general and operations managers, indicating that traditional labor data often misestimates program viability by understating these diverse pathways.

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Upcoming Dates:

  • June 25th at 2PM ET

  • July 30th at 2PM ET

  • August 27th at 2PM ET

  • September 24th at 2PM ET
  • October 19th at 2PM ET

  • November 19th at 2PM ET

  • December 31st at 2PM ET
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Session Recordings:

Playlist

4 Videos

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  • June 25th, 2026
  • 2pm ET
  • Webinar
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