2026 Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers

Get inside the minds of higher ed’s top decision-makers. Download the 2026 Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers, sponsored by Watermark, for an exclusive look at the critical priorities and shift in strategies shaping higher education today.

The survey was conducted by Inside Higher Ed and Hanover Research to capture candid insights from provosts and chief academic officers across public, private non-profit, and for-profit U.S. institutions.

Download the free report to better align your work with the real-world priorities and concerns of academic leadership—or read last year’s report to see how perspectives have shifted over the past 12 months.

In the new 2026 report you’ll learn about:

• Why 71% of provosts use AI daily, but only 8% have achieved campus-wide digital transformation
• Why only 49% of CAOs are confident in degree program quality—and how they’re bridging the gap
• The real reasons behind faculty departures  and how top campuses are fighting turnover
• Why 53% of provosts now favor long-term contracts over traditional tenure models
• How institutions are preparing for the impact expected from federal accountability and OBBBA reforms
• Where leaders are finding hidden ROI in AI, staff capacity, and digital learning