2025 Vertical Market Study: State of Customer Experience in Higher Education

State of Customer Experience in Higher Education: 2025 Vertical Market Study explores how colleges and universities are rethinking student experience in an era defined by hybrid learning, rising expectations, and digital-first engagement.

As students increasingly view their academic journey through the lens of customer experience, institutions face mounting pressure to deliver timely, personalized, and empathetic support—at scale. Drawing on insights from higher education leaders, this study reveals the key challenges hindering student success, the technologies shaping modern CX strategies, and the role of AI and orchestration in improving retention, satisfaction, and confidence.

The Vertical Market Study offers a clear roadmap for institutions seeking to unify communication, eliminate friction, and create meaningful, human-centered experiences across the entire student lifecycle.

Topics include:

• Rising Student Expectations & Hybrid CX
  How student expectations for seamless, omnichannel, and mobile-first experiences are reshaping higher education service models.
• Barriers to Student Success
  The most critical friction points—repetitive interactions, lack of personalization, siloed data, and limited access to human support.
• Personalization, Proactivity & Retention
  Why personalized communication, proactive outreach, and early identification of at-risk students are essential to improving retention.
• The Role of AI & Experience Orchestration
  How AI-powered insights, predictive analytics, and connected platforms enable empathy, efficiency, and consistency at scale.
• From Fragmentation to Connection
  Practical strategies for unifying systems, aligning departments, and transforming disconnected touchpoints into a cohesive student journey.