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Report

Higher education: Navigating the new normal

Rising premiums, reduced coverage options, increased deductibles, and exclusions are creating significant insurability challenges for higher education
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09/09/2025

Marsh’s new report — Higher education: Navigating the new normal — explores the multitude of risks impacting higher education and shares strategic guidance to help institutions adapt to these complex challenges.

As risks continue to evolve and intertwine, higher education institutions face significant hurdles to maintaining financial stability, ensuring operational resilience, and fulfilling their missions.  This report explores the interconnected challenges that could threaten institutional stability and seeks to provide insights into actions that organizations can take to build resilience amid an uncertain landscape.

Report highlights include:

Declining enrollment puts financial stability at risk

A projected 13% drop in high school graduates by 2041, along with shifting perceptions of higher education’s value, is putting pressure on institutions that are reliant on tuition revenue.

Cyber threats pose a dual challenge

The increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks threaten institutions’ data security and reputations, underscoring the importance of strategies to improve cybersecurity.

Escalating liability risks are contributing to insurability challenges

The rise of social inflation, along with heightened scrutiny of risks related to sexual assault and molestation, traumatic brain injury, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is leading to increased vulnerabilities and tightening insurance capacity.

Climate change is contributing to heightened property damage risks

Severe weather-related events are increasing in frequency and elevating property damage risks. Securing comprehensive insurance coverage for properties in high-risk areas remains a significant challenge for higher education institutions.

Strategic actions to address evolving and emerging challenges

Building resilience to today’s and tomorrow’s risks requires higher education institutions to adopt proactive and comprehensive strategies that allow them to better navigate current insurability challenges and position themselves for sustainable success in an uncertain environment.

Report

Download the full report ­for detailed insights and strategic actions to help your institution build its resilience.

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