We know that the pandemic accelerated many critical issues for education, such as assessment, the role of technology in teaching and learning, reprioritizing time and schedule, and developing new ways to reach audiences in creative ways. But, perhaps one of the more unexpected ways in which the pandemic impacted education is through making the industry more accountable to the business model it has developed, the price it charges, and the outcomes it espouses.

For decades, high quality education has rested on three basic assumptions;

A college degree is required for an excellent career and promising future;
A strong college preparatory primary and secondary education is the necessary path to #1;
The higher the tuition price and greater the selectivity of either #1 or #2 means the better the quality of the experience and outcomes.

The pandemic turned those assumptions on upside down. It demonstrated that many of the so-called “best” or most “elite” institutions struggled with being flexible in their delivery and student-centered in their approaches. And, I believe it challenged the status quo regarding the education equation of “price + selectivity = good outcomes.”

Yes, education is under the microscope now. As parents, students and their respective families continue to make lifestyle trade-offs, such as moving to a new location for a more balanced life, education will be pushed to get less expensive, more flexible, and deliver more practical outcomes. Consumers are far more aware than before the pandemic of what they get for what they are charged in an educational experience.

Watch for education to be under pressure to reduce price, become more flexible, and provide practical outcomes that the consumer values in the workplace.