Higher education CIOs face a tough balancing act: deliver on bold 2030 strategies while managing cost pressures, talent gaps and legacy systems. Add AI’s rapid rise — and its governance and budget challenges — and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Success demands agility, cultural change, and smart prioritization now. Join this webinar where Gartner experts share Gartner’s key predictions for higher education and practical actions to help CIOs navigate near-term constraints while positioning their institutions for sustainable innovation and growth.
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Digital Transformation in Education
Gartner provides actionable, objective insight to education CIOs to help drive digital transformation.
Gartner Predicts for Higher Education 2026: Navigating AI, Agility and Institutional Strategy
Trending insights and tools for education
Every day, 2,500 Gartner experts work with education organizations in need of rapid improvement. We help you make the right decisions so you can focus on your students.
- Higher Education
- K-12 Education
Gain insight specifically designed to support higher education IT leaders with these resources
Dive into workforce strategies used to achieve success and advance IT workforce skills strategy.
Understand the impact of U.S. federal policy changes on education and how leaders can plan effectively to position their institutions for long-term success.
Discover 3 focus areas for CIOs to drive transformation in their industries, and uncover critical steps to accelerate transformation in Education.
Access more than 250 AI use cases, all tailored to your industry and business needs with Gartner's AI Use Case Insights Tool to help your organization achieve tangible success.
Explore The Top Business & Technology Trends in Higher Education for CIOs in 2025 and Beyond and learn how to shape your IT strategy to build a resilient digital foundation.
Explore the Strategic Roadmap for Higher Education Student Information Systems to help align digital business strategies and ensure you’re keeping up with competitors.
Explore the 2025 Hype Cycle for Higher Education and identify the key innovation profiles and technologies that best support your institution’s modernization objectives for the coming year.
Explore resources leveraged by K-12 education IT leaders around the globe
As K-12 CIOs pivot toward making more specific changes, innovation is blooming in targeted areas such as infrastructure, process efficiency, student experience and teaching methodologies. Leverage the K-12 Education Innovation Snapshot to explore use cases of successful innovations from K-12 education leaders and discover the transformative role generative AI plays.
Watch the Gartner on-demand webinar The Impact of Generative AI on Education IT Leaders to explore what AI-based tools mean for your institution now and in the future, and how you can turn their promise into reality.
Related education resources
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Frequently asked questions
What does technology integration mean in education?
Educational institutions must accelerate their digital transformation. To do so they must modernize and optimize their learning environments and their enterprise technologies. Effective integration of these systems will enable a seamless and more fulfilling faculty, staff, and most importantly, student experience.
How important is technology in education?
Educational institutions must accelerate their digital transformation. To do so they must modernize and optimize their learning environments and their enterprise technologies. Effective integration of these systems will enable a seamless and more fulfilling faculty, staff, and most importantly, student experience.
Why is it important to use technology in education?
Education is no longer based solely on a physical campus and people (students, faculty and staff). It is increasingly necessary to have a strong digital component. The hybrid campus of the future is one that has a balance of the physical and digital in both the business model and the operating model of the institution.
How is technology being used in education?
Technology is enabling most aspects of education today. No longer is technology relegated to supporting the back-office business of the institution or school district. Today, technology is a fundamental component of the teaching and learning mission, the student experience and enabling advances in research. AI and related hyperautomation technologies hold promise as transformative solutions propelling education progress and empowering students and faculty.
Why does educational technology matter?
Educational technology matters because it's the keystone to effectively scaling high-quality education. When we achieve this goal, society can begin to realize the dream of increased accessibility of excellent education in a manner that mankind has never-before experienced.
What technology is used in education today?
Today, educational organizations rely on a plethora of technologies, including foundational components (such as a campus network, ERP solutions), business systems (such as student information system) and academic technologies (such as a learning management system). Emerging technologies such as AI have application in all aspects of the academy, becoming critical to initiatives such as online digital learning, smart campus environments and advancing new research discoveries.
How will technology change education in the future?
The future of education is a heterogenous business model with a hybrid operating model, supported by hyperautomated business processes. All three of these characteristics are highly dependent on technology. The result will be new revenue models, with both digital and in-person experiences, at a scale and cost that is achievable across much of the globe. This cannot be accomplished without an appetite for change and highly leveraging emerging technologies.
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