UNICON Pulse Survey: Executive Education
Preliminary Results
How are executive education teams dealing with current uncertainty, and what's the impact on business schools?
Survey Methodology
Survey Period
July 2nd-14th, 2025
Distribution
Distributed by City Square Associates via email to 125 UNICON contacts
Process
Each received initial email plus two reminders
65
Respondents
Total number of participants
52%
Cooperation Rate
Percentage of contacted institutions that responded
±8%
Margin of Error
At 95% confidence interval
Global Volatility Impact
85% of respondents report that recent market uncertainty has impacted their business or operations
Significant disruption across executive education sector
Operational Impacts - Most Common Challenges
The recent market volatility has presented significant operational hurdles for executive education providers. A detailed breakdown of the most frequently cited challenges by the 65 respondents reveals key areas of concern:
Staffing Adjustments and Morale Decline
Staffing Changes
Morale Impact
*No institutions reported improvements in staff morale
Client Expectations Shifting
Top changes reported by respondents
Client Market Caution
31%
Market Caution
of respondents say clients are cautious or withdrawing from their markets
Travel Advisories
20% of respondents report client concerns about travel advisories
Visa Difficulties
19% of respondents note clients experiencing visa difficulties
Entry Denial Fears
17% of respondents indicate clients fear entry denial
Institutional Leadership Pressure
51%
Increased Pressure
of respondents report increased pressure from business school or university leadership
Particularly regarding revenue growth, contribution targets, and overall financial performance
Regional Demand - Middle East/Africa Leading Growth
28%
Middle East/Africa
Increase in custom program demand
17%
Middle East/Africa
Increase in open enrollment demand
12%
Latin America
Increase in custom programs
Most noteworthy increase in demand observed in the Middle East/Africa region across both program types
Regional Demand Declines - US, Europe, Asia
—
US Market
18% decrease in both custom programs and open enrollment
Most pronounced decrease observed for US market
—
Europe
Significant decreases in both program types
—
Asia
Notable decreases across program offerings
Revenue Distribution
67%
$12M or Less
Two-thirds of respondents report 2024-2025 revenue from non-degree executive education at $12 million USD or less
22%
$20M+
estimated gross annual revenue of more than $20 million USD
What's Next?
This executive summary provides high-level insights from our Pulse Survey findings. The UNICON Benchmarking Committee is conducting more thorough analyses, and additional, more specific results will be shared in upcoming communications.