Helping higher education institutions reimagine the future by designing and implementing strategies that improve student outcomes, increase access and affordability, enable more and better research, enhance operational and administrative performance, and ensure financial sustainability
What we do
Strategy and organization
Supporting institutions in defining and implementing bold, path-breaking strategies that are true to their values and build on what makes them unique and differentiated. We also work to strengthen organizational health and create the foundation for sustained excellence – informed by a deep and comprehensive understanding of their current performance and positioning through our suite of proprietary analytics and benchmarking tools.
New schools, programs and initiatives
Supporting universities and other organizations to purse compelling opportunities to expand impact with learners and the broader education-to-employment ecosystem with a proven toolkit for building new higher education institutions, ventures, and programs both in the physical and digital space.
Financial stability, transformation, and growth
Partnering with universities to identify and deliver on the full potential of their missions – including enrollment growth, student outcomes, research funding, optimization of auxiliaries, and financial resilience – through a tried-and-tested approach to transformation and sustained performance improvement.
Leadership and governance
Supporting institutions and leaders to navigate critical senior leadership transitions including defining priorities, building world-class talent strategies, and implementing best practices for execution. Enabling university boards to better deliver on their missions by redefining board objectives and structures, setting clear board processes and norms, and improving cooperation between the board and the administration.
Technology for learning
Defining aspirations, developing capabilities, and scaling models for online education, while helping institutions navigate the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence to better fulfill their education, research and public impact missions.
Mergers, partnerships and alliances
Enabling institutions to better navigate potential mergers, partnerships, and alliances through due diligence and execution support, bringing the best from our global M&A practice to ensure overall impact in service of all key stakeholders.
Examples of our work
10-year strategic plan for leading public university
We supported a top-50 US public university to develop a 10-year strategic plan to improve access, affordability, federal R&D funding, financial outlook, and the eminence of the university in the context of a rapidly changing higher education landscape. This resulted in a four-percentage point increase in four-year graduation rates and a greater than 50 percent increase in R&D spending, with the new strategy being supported by significant operational cost savings and new revenue generating opportunities.
Financial turnaround at a small liberal-arts college
We helped to deliver a step-change in performance for a US liberal-arts college during a planned two-year turnaround; helping secure a 30 percent larger incoming class, a seven percent increase in retention, the scale-up of online programs, and a reallocation of resources that resulted in the restoration of the college’s accreditation, which set the foundation for its sustainable financial performance going forward.
Featured Experts
Alberto Chaia
Senior PartnerMiami
Works with clients in Mexico, Latin America and globally to develop strategies for economic development, financial inclusion...
Felipe Child
PartnerBogotá
Felipe is a Partner in our Bogotá office and leader of the Public & Social Sector and Healthcare Practices for Latin America....
Wan-Lae Cochran
PartnerWashington DC
Supports public, private, and social sector organizations in designing and executing strategies that will help advance inclusive...
Nadine Diaz-Infante
PartnerMexico City
Drive to increase access to quality education across a range of client types, such as higher education, K–12, and continuous...
André Dua
Senior PartnerMiami
Provides strategic counsel and advises on performance transformation to state and local governments as well as public and private...
Ryan Golden
PartnerAtlanta
Serves educational organizations on their strategic collaboration and performance aspirations to enable improved student outcomes...
Charag Krishnan
PartnerNew Jersey
Supports higher-education institutions on performance improvement programs, analytics, M&A, and financial sustainability
Jonathan Law
Senior Partner
Supports education organizations and state, provincial, and local governments design and implement major initiatives that advance...
Suzanne Lyman
PartnerBay Area - Silicon Valley
Partners with universities, social and public sector organizations to design and execute on strategies to achieve growth and...
Fiyinfolu Oladiran
PartnerWashington DC
Leads the Public Sector, Healthcare and Social Sector Practices and advises on large-scale performance improvement transformations...
Duwain Pinder
PartnerOhio - Columbus
Serves colleges and universities on strategy and performance improvements and supports organizations across sectors on racial...
Saurabh Sanghvi
PartnerBay Area - Silicon Valley
Partners with public, private, and not-for-profit organizations around the world to set bold strategies and execute plans that...
Featured Insights
Report
Fulfilling the potential of US higher education
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With bold, decisive action, the US higher education sector could expand its impact, deliver on its promise of more-equitable outcomes, and improve the nation’s economic competitiveness.
Strategy and transformation
Article
Reimagining education in MENAP
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Stakeholders can consider a range of bold initiatives to transform education and create new opportunities for youth in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan.
Article
How to transform higher-education institutions for the long term
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As financial pressures on higher-education institutions compound, a transformation approach focused on five best practices can help leaders make lasting change.
Article
Reimagining higher education in the United States
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As education leaders consider their options in the age of the COVID-19 crisis, they must rethink the conventional wisdom.
Online learning
Article
Demand for online education is growing. Are providers ready?
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Growing competition in online education suggests providers may need to take bold action. Five strategic moves could help them...
Article
How technology is shaping learning in higher education
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New McKinsey research shows that students and faculty are eager to continue using new classroom learning technologies adopted...
Article
Setting a new bar for online higher education
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Colleges and universities that learn from online education pioneers could improve operations and students’ experiences—and...
Article
What do higher education students want from online learning?
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McKinsey surveyed more than 7,000 students in 17 countries to find out which elements of online higher education they value most....
Leadership and governance
McKinsey Direct
Six lessons for incoming university presidents
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The most effective university presidents use the first six to 12 months of their tenure to renew and reinvigorate the institution....
Interview - McKinsey Quarterly
‘Confidence without attitude is critical for today’s leaders’
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In the fourth episode of The Quarterly Interview: Provocations to Ponder, Ann Harrison, dean of the Haas School of Business,...
Interview
Reimagining the college experience: An interview with CUNY’s Félix Matos Rodríguez
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Technology and flexibility will play a larger role in educating the next generation of students at the City University of New...
Article
Shaping university boards for 21st century higher education in the US
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Many university boards have not revised their governance models in decades and struggle to deliver on their mission. To update...
Organization and operations
Article
Strengthening higher education outcomes through partnerships, alliances, and mergers
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Enrollment challenges and financial strain are testing the viability of higher education. Strategic alliances offer a path forward,...
Article
Transforming HR to better support higher education institutions
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Higher education institutions face stiff competition in the race for talent. A strong and connected HR function could give them...
Article
Using machine learning to improve student success in higher education
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Deploying machine learning and advanced analytics thoughtfully and to their full potential may support improvements in student...
Article
Building operational excellence in higher education
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The example of one university shows the potential value in transforming administrative operations.
Racial equity
Executive Briefing
Racial and ethnic equity in US higher education
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Institutions have the potential to use their roles in teaching and learning, research scholarship and creative expression, and...
Article
Racial and ethnic equity in US higher education: Completion rates
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Supporting students from underrepresented populations can help accelerate progress toward racial and ethnic equity in US higher...
Article
Racial and ethnic equity in US higher education: Students and faculty
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Most nonprofit institutions have significant progress to make to reach their stated goals of representational parity.
Article - McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility
How HBCUs can accelerate Black economic mobility
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Historically Black colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to inspire and support Black Americans in the five critical...
Charticles
Interactive
Higher education enrollment: Inevitable decline or online opportunity?
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Declines in fertility and dropping international student numbers threaten the future...
Article
Rising costs and stagnating completion rates: Who is bucking the trend?
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The global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated concerns about the value of higher education — prices are rising and completion...
Article
The rising toll of student debt: More than graduates can sustain?
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Total student debt is now higher than credit card debt in the United States, and the numbers are growing quickly and steadily:...