What if your school's success depended on adopting a true growth mindset?
In this episode of the Independent School Moonshot Podcast, Trace Urdan, Managing Director and education analyst at Tyton Partners, unpacks the sobering realities shaking up higher education and how independent schools can learn from them.
Inspired by his Substack article "Surviving the Higher Ed Apocalypse," this conversation explores five growth models institutions can use to navigate demographic shifts, tuition pressures, and changing family expectations.
Whether you're a head of school, board member, or aspiring leader, this episode offers practical insights for the road ahead.
What You'll Learn from Trace Urdan:
- The Tuition Trap is Real: Schools that try to appear elite by raising prices often fall into a cycle of unsustainable discounting.
- Demographics Are Destiny: A declining population of affluent 18-year-olds is already reshaping education demand and independent schools are not immune.
- Differentiation is a Growth Strategy: Trace outlines five models (e.g., the Harvard, Juilliard, and Northeastern models) that schools can adopt to carve out a distinct niche.
- Shared Understanding Powers Change: The most crucial step school leaders can take is building a shared strategic view with their boards and leadership teams.
- Mission Can Fuel Growth: Schools can live their mission in new ways to unlock revenue if they're willing to break from tradition.
Discussion Prompts
- What pressures from the higher ed world are already in our school?
- Which of the five models (Harvard, Juilliard, Northeastern, SNHU, Western Governors) feels closest to our current approach?
- How aligned are our board and leadership team on the core challenges we face?
- What new revenue streams allow us to live our mission in different ways?
- Are we pricing to reflect quality or pricing to stay competitive? What are the implications?
- What would it take for us to adopt a genuinely growth-oriented mindset?
