Client description: Higher Education institution

Practice area: Market Research & Analysis; Mergers & Acquisitions

Geographic scope: U.S.

Industries involved: Education

Services applied:Competitive intelligence, Joint Ventures

Business challenge: The client aimed to redesign its General Education (GenEd) program and required a comprehensive understanding of how peer institutions are evolving their GenEd offerings. In particular, the institution wanted to benchmark curriculum structures, content areas and competency-based models and emerging trends.

Methodologies: The study combined extensive secondary research with targeted qualitative research. Desk research mapped GenEd frameworks, curricula, and innovative learning models across the higher education landscape. This analysis was complemented by 10 in-depth interviews with GenEd program directors and coordinators at priority institutions with more than 10,000 full-time students. The interviews explored drivers of curriculum redesign, emerging innovations, and anticipated future trends in GenEd.

The result: The research identified and profiled General Education programs, of 75 institutions, revealing a gradual shift toward more student-centered and skills-based approaches. These insights enabled the client identify opportunities to modernize its curriculum, supporting stronger alignment with workforce needs and improved student outcomes.