Employee retention remains a challenge for the nation’s colleges and universities, even as voluntary turnover rates have begun to decline from their 2022 peak. New research from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) sheds light on which employees are considering leaving their positions, why they are looking for other employment, and what higher ed leaders can do to retain them amid a challenging environment for higher ed.
In the 2025 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey, CUPA-HR surveyed 3,791 employees from higher ed institutions across the country about their likelihood of seeking other employment in the near future and their reasons for doing so. The report o?ers a model for retention that can help campus leaders make informed decisions and better direct resources toward the retention e?orts that are most impactful.
Findings
While retention remains a concern, turnover trended downward in 2025. One in four higher ed employees say they are likely or very likely to look for other jobs in the next year. This is a significant (25%) decrease from the one-third of employees who reported the same in 2023. More than one-quarter of employees who are likely to leave say job security is a reason they are considering other roles. Employees in the areas of research and sponsored programs/institutional research are particularly concerned, with more than one-third (34%) of these employees citing job security among the top three reasons they are looking for other jobs. Younger employees, men, people of color, and non-supervisors are more likely to consider leaving their current job. These groups are significantly more likely to look for other jobs, a trend that has stayed consistent since 2023. Employees still want a more flexible work schedule than higher ed provides. Fewer employees cited flexible work as a major reason for leaving than in 2023, but there is still a gap between what employees want and what higher ed provides. Only 28% of employees currently work in either a hybrid or remote arrangement, but 61% express a preference for doing so. More than half of employees report they are working more than full-time hours. Supervisors have the heaviest workload and are more likely to work weekends, have duties that require additional time, absorb other sta?’s responsibilities, and experience an increase in expectations and demands from their own supervisors. Pay increases have declined, but informal retention incentives are on the rise. Annual pay increases have declined 10 percentage points from 2023, with only 43% of employees reporting a salary increase. The most common retention incentive, informal recognition for doing good work, has become more prevalent, with 72% of employees saying they received it. Still, that leaves about one in four employees who feel their contributions go unrecognized. Job satisfaction/well-being continues to be the strongest predictor of retention. Although employees are most likely to say they’re looking for other opportunities to receive a pay increase, data show that a sense of belonging, feeling valued, being engaged, and feeling one’s work has purpose are far more important than pay in predicting whether employees will look for other jobs.
“Fewer higher ed employees are considering leaving in 2025 compared to 2023, but retention is still a major challenge amid shifting enrollment, policy changes, and rising employee expectations,” says Jennifer Schneider, senior survey researcher at CUPA-HR.
“Higher ed leaders who act on job satisfaction, workload, and fair pay will be best positioned to sustain their workforce.” Adds CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley,
“A career in higher education can be personally and professionally fulfilling as we work to positively impact the lives of students, our communities and our world. The work can also be viewed as just another job if leaders don’t seriously consider the impact they have on their colleagues every single day. The most impactful higher education leaders create and sustain an environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and supported.”
Read the 2025 Higher Education Employee Retention 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 o?ers learning and professional development programs, higher education salary and benefits data, extensive online resources and just-in-time regulatory and legislative information.
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