Simba Information’s The State of College Course Materials 2024-2026 provides an in-depth analysis of key trends and challenges shaping the higher education course materials market. The report highlights a 3.4% increase in undergraduate enrollment and a 8.4% rise in demand for short-term micro-credentials, reflecting a shift toward workforce-oriented education. At the same time, first-year enrollment has increased 5.5%, raising concerns about the broader demographic and systemic challenges in postsecondary education.
Affordability remains a critical issue, with average student spending on course materials dropping to $342 annually, the lowest in 16 years. This decline is driven by widespread adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER), inclusive access models, and digital-first solutions.
However, rising tuition, housing costs, and other fees continue to offset these savings, making affordability a persistent concern for students and families. Additionally, the report explores the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), with 86% of students integrating it into their learning processes, while faculty adoption lags at just 14%.
The report also details the increasing state and local government funding for higher education, which reached $132.5 billion in fiscal year 2024, supporting Pell Grant expansion and affordability measures. These insights, along with an analysis of policy impacts and publisher strategies, make this report essential for stakeholders navigating a rapidly evolving educational landscape.
- Executive Summary
- Methodology
- Market Size and Enrollment
- Table Annual Percent Change in Fall Total Enrollment; Fall 2020-Fall 2024; (percent)
- Institution Types and Numbers
- Table Number of US Title IV Postsecondary Institutions, 2023-2024 vs. 2022-2023
- Institutions with First Year Undergraduates
- Table Degree-Granting Institutions Enrolling First-Year Undergraduates, 2000-2001, 2010-2011, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, &2023-2024
- Distance Education
- Table Number of Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions that Primarily Offer Online Programs Fall 2022 & Fall 2023
- Federal Plan to Require Attendance Taking in Online Courses
- For-Profit Institutions Enrollment
- Table Simba Information Career College Enrollment Index, 2022 & 2023
- Higher Education Under Pressure: Closures, Mergers, and Acquisitions
- Table College Closures and Mergers: Completed in 2024 and Forthcoming
- Undergraduate and Graduate Enrollment Increased
- Freshmen Enrollment Growth
- Table Enrollment Changes by Award Level and Sector, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024 (% change)
- Interest in Undergraduate Certificates Remains Strong
- Table Total Fall Enrollment Across All Institution Types by Degree Fall 2019-Fall 2024 (in thousands)
- Freshmen Enrollment Growth
- Enrollment by Major Field of Study
- Table Enrollment Changes in Top Ten Majors by Credential Type, Fall 2023 vs. Fall 2024
- High Cost of College Hinder Enrollment
- Approaching the Enrollment Cliff
- Policy and Funding
- Cost of Attending College in 2024-2025
- Table Undergraduate Tuition and Fees, 2023 - 2024 vs. 2024 - 2025
- Cost of Attending College in 2025-2027
- Table Cost of Attending College Estimates, 2025 - 2027
- Crossing Psychological Barrier with $100K a Year Sticker Price
- Transparency Bills Seek to Reveal the True Cost of College
- Table Summary of Enacted and Pending Cost Transparency Bills
- Attempts to Eliminate Automatic Charges for Textbooks
- Federal Funding for Higher Education
- Table Selected Higher Education Programs in President Biden's Department of Education Budget Request, 2023 - 2025P (million dollars)
- Student Loans
- Table Average Cumulative Debt Levels in 2023 Dollars: Bachelor's Degree Recipients at Public and Private Nonprofit Four-Year Institutions, 2007-2008 to 2022-2023, Selected Years
- Table Distribution of Outstanding Federal Borrowers by Age Third Quarter FY2017, FY2020, and 2024
- Table Distribution of Outstanding Federal Loan Dollars by Borrowers Age, Third Quarter FY2017, FY 2020, and FY 2024
- Support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- Project 2025
- Impact of Recent Executive Actions on Higher Education
- State Funding for Higher Education
- Table Sources of State and Local Higher Education Funding By State, FY 2023
- Student Share
- Table Net Tuition as a Percentage of Total Education Revenue by State (excluding net tuition revenue used for capital debt service), Selected Years, 1980 - 2023
- Workforce Development
- Table Federal Workforce Development Grants, 2024
- Career, Technical and Adult Learning
- Cost of Attending College in 2024-2025
- Course Materials
- Cost of Coursebook Materials
- Table Average Cost of Books and Supplies for First-Year, Full-Time Undergraduates, 2022 - 2023
- Table How much do students pay for their course materials?
- Why Is Student Spending on Course Materials Declining?
- The Impact of Textbook and Courseware Costs
- How Do Students Source Course Materials?
- Course Materials Cost-Cutting Efforts
- Impact on Student Success
- Faculty Concerned by Textbook Affordability: The Growing Share of Open Educational Resources
- Federal Governments Continue to Push OER
- Table Open Textbook Pilot Program New Awards, FY 2024
- State Governments Continue to Support OER
- Table Recent State-Enacted Higher Education OER-Related Policies
- Federal Governments Continue to Push OER
- The Emergence of Z-Degrees
- Table Selected Higher Institutions Recent and Ongoing OER Initiatives
- Outlook for College Course Materials
- Table Sales by Segment of Key College Course Materials, 2023 - 2026P (million dollars)
- Recommendations for Publishers
- Cost of Coursebook Materials
- Industry Trends and Innovations
- Confidence in Higher Education Now Sharply Split
- Gallup Research on Higher Institution
- New American Varying Degrees 2024 Survey
- Pew Research Center Study
- Americans More Confident in Community Colleges
- Colleges Reorganizing Academic Programs
- Programs Consolidation
- Institutions Prioritize Online Courses Development
- Colleges Expanding Micro-credentials
- The Emergence of Accelerated Degrees
- Faculty Interest in Affordable Access Programs Remains Strong
- Inclusive and Equitable Access Programs Expanding
- The Awareness and Use of OER Dwindling
- Digital Textbooks Have Not Fully Won Professors Yet
- Higher Education Diverged in AI Adoption
- Publishers Invest Heavily in AI
- Students Embrace AI for Academic Support
- Faculty Lags Behind Students in AI Adoption
- AI Already Fuels OER Development
- AI and the Copyright Legal Challenges
- The Copyright Office Stand
- Collective Licensing Approach
- Confidence in Higher Education Now Sharply Split
- Competitive Landscape
- Acquisitions, Divestment, and Funding
- 2023 Activity
- Table Acquisitions, Divestments, and Funding for Higher Education Competitors, 2023
- 2023 Activity
- 2024 Activity
- Infrastructure Acquires Parchment and Goes Private
- The Pursuit of Non-Traditional Students and Non-degree Education
- Table Acquisitions, Divestments and Funding for Higher Education Competitors, 2024
- Major Competitors
- Table Performance of Higher Education Competitors: Total Corporate and Higher Education Segment, (million dollars)
- Pearson
- Table Pearson Interactive Media Platforms
- Table Pearson Divisional Financial Results, 2023
- Table Person's AI Development & Roll Out Milestones - Summary, 2023 - 2024
- Cengage Learning
- Table Cengage's Business Segments
- Table Cengage's Digital Platforms
- McGraw Hill
- Table McGraw Hill's Digital Platforms
- Wiley
- Table Wiley's Financial Performance by Segment, Financial Year 2024
- Future Performance
- Competitive Performance Year-to-Date
- Table Performance and Guidance for Higher Education Competitors, 2024
- Acquisitions, Divestment, and Funding
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