How Universities Can Evaluate Demand for New Academic Programs
Evaluate new academic programs with confidence using a balanced, multi-data approach that reveals true demand, reduces risk, and guides smarter portfolio decisions.
Blog
The latest research and insights from Gray DI
Read More
Gray Insights
Don’t Stop Now! The Decline in Program Announcements Threatens Future Enrollment
As new program launches slow, institutions risk falling behind shifting student demand. Discover how to identify and prioritize high-growth programs before enrollment momentum stalls.
March 19, 2026
Gray Insights
How Universities Can Make Better Academic Program Decisions: A Data-Informed Framework
Academic program decisions have never been more complex, yet many institutions still rely on incomplete signals or long-standing assumptions. Enrollment shifts, evolving workforce needs, and growing pressure to demonstrate outcomes are forcing leaders to rethink how programs are evaluated. Discover the key signals and strategic framework institutions are using to make smarter academic program decisions.
March 10, 2026
Gray Insights
Why Enrollment Declines Don’t Automatically Mean Program Cuts
When enrollment declines, the instinct to cut can feel like the safest financial move. But what if that decision actually creates a larger budget hole? Many smaller programs remain contribution positive, support high-volume general education, and hold untapped growth potential, while teach-out costs and ripple effects across student credit hours can quietly erase projected savings. Before reshaping your academic portfolio, it may be worth asking whether the real issue is the program, or the data behind the decision.
March 3, 2026
Gray Insights
An AI Infrastructure Boom Fueling Opportunities for Higher Education
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.
February 26, 2026
Gray Insights
From Brain Rot to Pickleball: Why We’re Paying to Touch Grass
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.
February 3, 2026
Gray Insights
The Proof is in the Portfolio: How Emerging Academic Programs Became Today’s Enrollment Drivers
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.
January 7, 2026