Private colleges and universities are managing a risk landscape defined by structural pressures, including demographic decline, price sensitivity, a volatile federal policy environment, deferred maintenance, workforce strain and the rapid arrival of artificial intelligence.

The Unison Risk Advisors™ 2026 Enterprise Risk Management Benchmark Report examines how senior leaders at private, not-for-profit institutions perceive risk across their campuses. It expands the framework to 88 enterprise risks across 11 operational domains, adding contemporary exposures such as AI governance, data governance, employee well-being, talent and succession, retention and sustainability that were not discretely measured in prior studies.

Finance remains the highest-priority domain, but capital, workforce and technology concerns have shifted the rankings since the last review in 2021. Inside the report, institutions will find:

• Aggregate rankings for all 88 enterprise risk areas with comparisons to our 2021 report
• Risk heat maps by operational domain
• Self-reported preparedness levels across each domain
• Qualitative insight drawn from respondents’ open-ended comments

Perceptions of risk vary with the role and knowledge of the participant. A trustee, CFO, provost, dean of students or vice president of admissions may all rank risks differently, and identifying where key stakeholders agree or disagree is often the most productive starting point for strategic discussions about institutional priorities.

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Whether your institution is considering an ERM program or already has an established process, the report offers a benchmark for where higher education leaders see their greatest exposures today. Request the full report here or use the form below to connect with our Education Practice Leader, James Shewey.