As mentioned in “Why Curriculum Must Be Refreshed Frequently (or Risk Falling Behind)”, it is commonly held that the only constant is change. If your curricula are exceptions to that rule, you may be paying a higher price than you think. Failing to regularly update curriculum content carries significant consequences for universities, students, employers, and society as a whole. In an era defined by rapid technological advancement and shifting workforce expectations, outdated programs can lead to student disengagement, declining enrollment, and reduced employer trust in academic institutions, not to mention missed opportunities to address emerging trends and technologies.
Reputational Risk and Competitive Decline
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, institutions that do not revise at least 30% of their course catalog within a 3-year period see a 12% average decline in applications compared to peers.
Universities that fail to modernize are seen as stagnant and fall behind in rankings, reputation, and student preferences. With more learners seeking career-aligned education, stale, irrelevant, or inaccurate content can damage institutional competitiveness, as can outdated teaching modalities. Learners have more choices than ever, and competitors are actively updating course content, media, and delivery models to stand out. A course that was excellent in 2021 may now feel outdated or uninspired—especially to adult learners comparing programs side by side. Lack of institutional support for content refreshing can also lead to frustration among faculty.
Dissatisfied Learners and Underqualified Graduates
Students are acutely aware when course material does not reflect current industry realities. Outdated content leads to a perceived lack of value, reducing student motivation and increasing the likelihood of dropout. Furthermore, this may force those who do complete a program to invest limited time and money on additional external certifications and training.
As learners and parents are looking more closely than ever at the ROI of higher education, they are also performing more research before making a decision. A single mention of dated or obsolete content may be all it takes for your institution to be left out of consideration.
The Lumina Foundation reports that relevance of content is a top-three factor influencing student retention decisions, particularly among adult and non-traditional learners.
Failure to Develop Critical 21st-Century Skills
Outdated syllabi may underemphasize “soft skills” such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration—competencies that are needed for graduates to thrive in rapidly changing work environments of all kinds. As such, it is imperative that institutions not fall into the trap of thinking that only tech-oriented fields require updating. For example, the utilization of AI in non-tech industries like healthcare, agriculture, marketing, and finance aids in decision-making, process optimization, and cost reduction, making proficiency in this technology critical across business verticals. Please see our subsequent article “Building Industry-Ready Graduates: Why AI Literacy is the New Core Skill” for additional information.
Alienation from Industry
Studies by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and the Stanford Research Center affirm that 85% of job success stems from proficient soft and interpersonal skills. In comparison, a mere 15% is attributed to technical skills and knowledge (hard skills).
When curricula fail to reflect contemporary industry practices and technologies, employers lose confidence in an institution’s ability to produce work-ready graduates. This undermines the university’s reputation and limits opportunities for employer partnerships, internships, and job placements which can have a deep and immediate impact on applications and enrollments.
Shortages of job-ready talent can slow down innovation and productivity, and the need to invest additional resources in training new hires increases operational costs and reduces overall efficiency. If traditional institutions fail to deliver employable graduates, industry will look to alternative educational options and elevate the importance of microcredentials and certifications over degrees.
A LinkedIn Learning report in 2024 highlighted that companies are more likely to partner with universities that offer up-to-date training programs, with 63% saying outdated curricula deter them from recruitment relationships.
Flattening the Technology Growth Curve
When curricula lag behind technological advancements, industries may struggle to adopt and implement new technologies due to a lack of skilled professionals. This can delay the adoption of advances such as AI, machine learning, and cloud computing, affecting industry growth and competitiveness. While universities continually strive to be recognized for their innovation, what used to be a differentiating feature is now just table stakes. Further, if maintaining the exponential growth of technology is deemed desirable, institutions must not only stay abreast of trends and opportunities, they must lead by example to remain meaningful contributors to the advancement of knowledge.
According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 35% of scientific research and development services industry companies surveyed cited universities or colleges as innovation partners.
Pay Now or Pay More Later
Whether it’s your car, your house, or your curriculum, regular, affordable maintenance helps avoid larger, more costly repairs down the road. Frequent course reviews consume relatively few resources, while more comprehensive updates take longer, cost more, and are typically subjected to more thorough reviews. If your curriculum has been stagnant for a while, it’s definitely worth the extra resources to catch up, but beyond that, a disciplined approach to regular updates will be far more effective and efficient. While there is no fixed interval, a common practice is to fully review and potentially redo a college course every 5–7 years, with more frequent updates in fast-changing fields or when required by external standards.
During the first six years of its online program, University of Florida course development costs averaged just over $50,000 at launch. A more recent number from the University of Washington Continuum College quotes a full course build for internal units at $46,350 and a redesign at $25,482. Maintaining a course, on the other hand, is estimated at around $7,500/year at UF, and Western Governors University found they would need to invest an additional 20 to 35 cents per year in updates for each dollar spent on course creation. (On Ed Tech How Much Does It Cost to Build an Online Course? )
Is Your Course Ready for a Refresh? And What Updates will be Most Valued by Industry?
Noodle has assembled a short self-test to see how your course stacks up against some key early indicators that a once-strong course may now be quietly falling behind. You can find this evaluation tool in our previous article here.
In addition, Noodle will be publishing a series of reports related to updating content in general as well as identifying critical needs for specific business verticals such as:
| Vertical | Need/Opportunity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Business | AI & Automation | Businesses are rapidly adopting AI and automation to improve efficiency and enhance customer experiences. According to McKinsey & Company (2023), 50% of organizations reported that they have adopted AI in at least one business function, highlighting the growing need for AI literacy in business curricula. |
| STEM | Green Technology and Sustainability | With the global push toward renewable energy, climate modeling, and sustainability, STEM programs need to integrate green technologies. IEA’s World Energy Outlook (2022) predicts that renewable energy capacity will grow by 50% by 2027. |
| Health Sciences | Telemedicine and Remote Care Practices | Telemedicine adoption increased by 154% during the COVID-19 pandemic (CDC, 2022), making it essential for healthcare professionals to understand virtual care models. |
| Early College/ Undergrad General Ed | Media Literacy and Misinformation Management | Students must develop critical thinking skills to identify credible sources and combat misinformation. According to Stanford History Education Group (2023), 82% of college students struggle to differentiate between fact-based content and misinformation online. |
Stay connected with Noodle for all of this and upcoming new content. When you’re ready to refresh, we offer a phased process that helps you address your updates strategically, without starting from scratch. We’ll help you preserve what’s working, elevate what needs improvement, and future-proof your program to stay competitive and compelling.
