The faculty ranks grew at an unprecedented rate last year, reversing a decade of stagnance and decline for one of higher education’s most closely watched workforce categories.
Tenure-track faculty jumped 7% in the 2025-26 academic year, marking the first significant year-over-year increase in the past decade, according to CUPA-HR’s latest report. The next-highest gain during that span was 1.2% in 2018.
The rebound offers a welcome sign, as the number of tenure-track faculty had fallen in four of the past six years following the pandemic.
The higher education human resources association’s lastest workforce report analyzed at least 936 institutions’ staff and faculty headcounts since the 2016-17 academic year.
The surge marks the first time that CUPA-HR recorded higher tenure-track faculty growth than non-tenure-track faculty growth. While non-tenure-track positions have continued to expand since 2021, growth slowed to 2.1% after reaching 3.6% the year before.
Adjunct faculty also increased modestly last year (0.9%), marking a second consecutive year of growth.
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At the same time, institutions sharply reduced staffing levels outside the faculty ranks. The number of full-time administrators, professionals, and hourly workers fell by 6.6%, an emphatic drop after three years of growth that peaked at 6.5% last year.
Part-time staff headcounts experienced an even more significant whiplash. After a 21% increase in 2024, numbers plunged by nearly 24% last academic year.
“The sharp reversal underscores the greater volatility of part-time positions relative to full-time roles and indicates that institutions cut staffing levels broadly in 2025,” the report read.
Why faculty development matters more now
Experts will be analyzing whether last year’s faculty growth represents a new chapter for higher education staffing or an outlier in a financially volatile sector. Nonetheless, colleges and universities should consider investing in their current faculty as much as new hires.
Nearly two-thirds of faculty report their well-being has declined over the past year, including more than a quarter who say it has declined substantially, according to a survey by the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. Despite widespread demand for support, one in 10 respondents said their institution is supporting them.
“If institutions are serious about strengthening outcomes and rebuilding trust in higher education—and I know they are—investing in faculty support remains an essential part of the equation,” Brian Bridges, the former New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education, wrote for University Business.
Erin Andrews, vice president of clinical affairs for telehealth company Uwill, recommends these steps to improve faculty well-being.
- Reinforce limits on time and availability: Colleges can help prevent burnout by establishing clear expectations around response times, office hours and workload rather than rewarding constant accessibility.
- Invest in faculty emotional well-being: As faculty take on increasing emotional labor, institutions should provide proactive mental health resources and support systems that help them manage the demands of student care.
- Build a culture of shared responsibility: Student support is most sustainable when faculty, advisors, counselors and other staff work collaboratively instead of relying on individual faculty members to carry the burden alone.