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A new report from CUPA-HR shows that adjuncts make up about 40% of the higher ed faculty workforce, but receive low pay, limited job security and few benefits. Adjunct Faculty in the Higher Education Workforce provides one of the most comprehensive investigations into the current adjunct workforce to date. The report focuses on the demographic makeup of adjuncts, institutional policies around adjunct teaching, and pay. Some key findings highlighted in the report:
Adjuncts Make Up Approximately 40% of the Overall Faculty Workforce Across Higher Ed
The makeup of adjunct faculty varies by institution type. At private institutions, adjunct faculty make up nearly half (46%) of the faculty workforce. At public institutions, adjuncts account for 37%. Adjuncts are most common at associate’s institutions (66% of the faculty workforce) and least common at doctoral institutions (33%). Adjuncts make up a small percentage of STEM faculty. Fields with relatively small percentages of adjunct faculty are Engineering (3%), Physical Sciences (6%) and Biological/Biomedical Sciences (8%). Disciplines focused on the arts and public service have a greater proportion of adjuncts, including Liberal Arts and Humanities (32%), Security/Protective Services (25%) and Education (23%). Adjunct pay varies by discipline, with Architecture, Engineering and Legal Professions paying the most.
Adjuncts Make Up a Small Percentage of STEM Faculty
Fields with relatively small percentages of adjunct faculty are Engineering (3%), Physical Sciences (6%) and Biological/Biomedical Sciences (8%). Disciplines focused on the arts and public service have a greater proportion of adjuncts, including Liberal Arts and Humanities (32%), Security/Protective Services (25%) and Education (23%). Adjunct pay varies by discipline, with Architecture, Engineering and Legal Professions paying the most.
Adjuncts Are Provided Low Pay and Few Benefits
Despite their high levels of education, adjuncts are paid substantially less than their counterparts in regular appointments. The median pay per credit hour for adjuncts is $1,166. Adjuncts are also typically ineligible for healthcare benefits. In 2024-25, only 37% of institutions offered health benefits to adjunct faculty.
Pay Equity Lags for Women and Black Faculty
White women, Black women and Black men are more likely than other demographic groups to occupy adjunct positions. Women represent more than half (57%) of adjunct faculty. Black faculty have twice the representation among adjuncts compared to their representation among tenure-track faculty.
Policies Around Courses Taught by Adjuncts May Create Job Instability
At most institutions (70%), low enrollment results in a course being canceled, and adjuncts scheduled to teach these courses receive no pay for the canceled course. For some institutions (13%), low enrollment may reduce pay rates for adjuncts.
Relatively Few Adjuncts Teach as a Full-Time Occupation
We estimate that approximately 7% of adjuncts teach as their main source of income. Based on the median pay per credit hour, adjuncts who teach four courses per semester year round would be paid approximately $41,976, much lower than the median annual income of full-time workers in the United States.
Read the 2026 Adjunct Faculty in the Higher Education Workforce Survey report and explore the interactive graphics.
About CUPA-HR
CUPA-HR is the recognized authority on compensation surveys for higher education, with its workforce surveys designed by higher ed HR professionals for higher ed HR professionals and other campus leaders. CUPA-HR has been collecting data on the higher ed workforce for more than 50 years, and we maintain one of the largest workforce databases in existence. CUPA-HR also publishes numerous research publications and interactive graphics highlighting trends and issues around higher ed workforce planning, fair pay, representation of women and racial/ethnic minorities and more.
Learn more about CUPA-HR research.
CUPA-HR is higher ed HR. We serve higher education by providing the knowledge, resources, advocacy and connections to achieve organizational and workforce excellence. Serving more than 33,000 HR professionals and other campus leaders at nearly 2,000 member institutions and organizations around the country and abroad, the association offers learning and professional development programs, higher education salary and benefits data, extensive online resources and just-in-time regulatory and legislative information.
