Where is value being lost across the student lifecycle?

New Higher Education research | Sector insights and executive briefing

Across higher education, transformation is underway, but the outcomes are uneven. Some institutions are progressing with clarity and control, whilst others are navigating complexity without a clear line of sight to value.

Our latest Higher Education research reveals a sector at a critical inflection point. Institutions are investing in transformation, AI and more personalised student experiences. Yet across the student lifecycle, from first engagement and admissions through enrolment, study and beyond, fragmentation remains a significant barrier to progress.

This webinar brings together our research findings from across the sector to provide a grounded view of what’s happening beneath the surface, data-driven perspectives from both executive leadership and technology teams.

The research exposes a striking gap between ambition and execution.

A snapshot of what we found:

• 78% of Executive respondents rated systems integration across the student lifecycle at just 2 out of 5; the single lowest-scored dimension in the survey
• 67% said their technology landscape is failing to support strong lifecycle coordination
• 100% of respondents flagged their Student Information / Management System as a highest-risk legacy dependency
• Only 20% believe their institution has a truly coordinated student experience strategy.
• Executive and technology leaders disagreed on who owns student experience strategy, highlighting a significant governance challenge.
• AI and data foundations are the next major investment, but the foundations required to deliver on that ambition are not yet in place

These findings suggest many institutions are trying to deliver modern, personalised student experiences on fragmented technology foundations with unclear accountability.

Together we’ll explore:

• Lifecycle maturity: where institutions are progressing, and where fragmentation still exists across the student lifecycle.
• Technology vs constraint: what’s enabling progress and what’s holding it back, from legacy environments to integration challenges.
• Strategy vs execution: how leadership intent compares to operational reality, and where the gaps are most visible.
• The shared priorities: the improvement agenda emerging across the sector, from admissions and enrolment to a single student view.
• Sector-wide friction: the common patterns in data, credit recognition and regulatory burden that need coordinated action.

Who should attend

Executive leaders shaping strategy, investment and transformation direction, and the operational and technology leaders responsible for delivery, systems and student experience. If you’re responsible for driving outcomes this session will give you a clearer view of where to focus next.

Register now to secure your place.