Demand for College Course Materials Shifted as Campuses Reopened
The College Course Materials reports provide an overview of the changing market for instructional resources in higher education in the U.S. and how the college publishing industry is both impacted by market changes and helps shape the market opportunities.
The State of College Course Materials in the United States 2021-2023 is now available and focuses on the market conditions and the trends that are likely to persist into the next several years. The report provides the outlook for the higher education publishing industry and sales segment projections through 2023.
The report also provides statistical data of the changes in market demand for postsecondary education and sizing and context to the market segments of new course materials - both print and digital.
Among the trends explored in this report that are shaping market opportunities and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future are:
- Contraction of the number of institutions of higher education
- Decline in total undergraduate enrollment.
- Growing acceptance among faculty of OER
- Growth of short-term courses with credentials not degree credits
- Changing strategies for the development, sales and distribution of course materials
Table of Contents
METHODOLOGYEXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Executive Summary
Heading into the fall 2021 semester, providers of higher education instructional resources and services saw significant improvement as campuses reopened for on-campus learning.
One driver of the more positive environment was the continued uptake of inclusive access. Campuses and students increasingly embraced the digital-resource subscription service as a means of getting necessary resources on the first day of classes, according to The State of College Course Materials in the United States 2021-2023.
Publishers and bookstore operators credited inclusive access programs for significant increases in sales in fall 2021 as campuses reopened. Barnes & Noble Education, for instance said revenue generated by its First Day inclusive access offering grew 80% in the quarter ended October 30, 2021, compared to the same quarter in 2020.
Still, the instructional materials industry is confronting new realities in the postsecondary market, the analyst found. One of those factors is the declining enrollment in traditional postsecondary education institutions, compounded by a decline in the birth rate.
As important is the burgeoning interest by high school graduates in skills-related programs instead of the traditional four-year college degree.
While the analyst expects sales of course materials to return to growth in 2022, with a projected 1.3% increase in overall sales of new course materials, the analyst also expects sales of course materials to be flat over the next couple of years as institutions and students continue to work in a pandemic-infused environment and the market adjusts to shifting demand from students and businesses.
The main points that the analyst considered in making its projections about the higher education instructional materials market opportunity were:
- declining student population
- expanding postsecondary options for learning/training for employment
- the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student attendance and course formats
Companies Mentioned
- Cengage Group
- Xanedu
- Wiley’s Education Publishing
- Chegg
- Pearson
Methodology
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