While everyone was knocked sideways by the events of 2025, our small but mighty newsroom has exhausted itself making sure you’re aware of all the changes in the sector. And you’ve shown us that you need to know what we’re covering. Last year our page views went up by 40 percent and traffic from our core readership rose nearly 65 percent. Readers engaged with us on our social platforms 60 percent more than in 2024.
It’s heartening to know Inside Higher Ed’s journalism matters at a time when the sector faces existential threats on multiple fronts. Highlights from the year include our map of canceled international student visas, our investigation into fake colleges and our rigorous coverage of the shifting relationship between the federal government and higher education. I’m grateful that after 20 years, Inside Higher Ed remains a trusted source of news and analysis for the higher education sector.
The news has already picked up speed this year, with the Department of Education wrapping up negotiated rule making and setting the stage to overhaul accreditation. We’ll continue to cover everything happening on the Hill as well as track how colleges respond to artificial intelligence, find new ways to be financially sustainable and continue to innovate what they do in the classroom. We’ve also got some exciting projects coming out later this year, including one that looks at how apprenticeships can be a crucial bridge between higher ed and workforce readiness.
Yet even as we celebrate our successes, we also face significant headwinds. The journalism industry has similar challenges to those plaguing higher ed: the rise of misinformation, a loss of trust in institutions, financial instability and a resistance to change. The business models that support high-quality journalism are evolving, and the rise of artificial intelligence and changes to the way people find and use information threaten the future of news reporting.
And like colleges, Inside Higher Ed goes back to our mission when things get tough. We know our purpose: to report the issues that matter most to the rich ecosystem of U.S. higher education institutions—from the open-access community colleges and regional publics to the bigger, wealthier and more selective privates and everything in between—and help connect the dots for our readers.
That mission requires a strategic shift in how we operate. Starting in April, we will be asking our readers to support us by becoming paying subscribers to access our news and deep dives. Readers will be able to access a few free articles a month. And all our surveys, student success advice, Views, career content and columns will remain open for anyone to read. We’ll offer a variety of ways readers can subscribe, including rates for institutions, groups and individuals.
This represents a significant evolution in our model and will enable us to continue to invest in Inside Higher Ed’s high-quality, independent journalism. We are passionate about higher education and its power to transform students’ lives and protect our democracy. This change will ensure that Inside Higher Ed can continue informing this crucial work by providing the journalism the sector deserves and depends on for another 20 years (and more!).
Thank you for reading Inside Higher Ed and for your continued support. We’ll be back in touch with more information in the coming weeks. If you have any immediate questions, you can email subscription@insidehighered.com.
Sara Custer is editor in chief at Inside Higher Ed.
