Half of Campus Tech Leaders Question AI’s ROI
Half of Campus Tech Leaders Question AI’s ROI
Publish Date: 2026-05-12 03:00:00
Source Domain: www.insidehighered.com
Although many colleges and universities are spending big on artificial intelligence tools, half of chief technology officers say the return on investment is either unclear or fell below their expectations. Just 29 percent say investments in AI have met or exceeded their ROI expectations.
That’s one of the top-level findings from the Inside Higher Ed/Hanover Research 2026 Survey of Campus Chief Technology/Information Officers, published today. And experts say it’s not surprising.
“ROI is going to be a concern when [institutions] are rushing to solutions without first defining the problem they’re trying to solve,” strategist Brian Fleming, a former university administrator, told Inside Higher Ed. “It creates a lot of fatigue and a much higher risk profile for institutions as they move into this brave new world of technology.”
More on the Survey
On Wednesday, June 10, at 2 p.m. Eastern, Inside Higher Ed will present a free webcast featuring expert panelists to discuss the survey findings and what it takes to lead on technology in today’s rapidly shifting postsecondary landscape. Register for that conversation here, even if you can’t attend live.
Inside Higher Ed’s 2026 Survey of Campus Chief Technology/Information Officers was conducted by Hanover Research. The survey included 130 technology leaders, mostly from public and private nonprofit institutions, for a margin of error of eight percentage points. Download the full results here.
This independent editorial project was made possible by support from T-Mobile for Education, Jenzabar and Modo.
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