When tackling complex problems within an industry, some of the most valuable insights can come from looking outside it. A higher education news article I came across recently made the interesting point that higher ed can learn a great deal from healthcare—and I couldn’t agree more. 

Healthcare has been grappling with the need to optimize business processes and improve operational efficiency for decades. It’s had to adapt to rising costs and evolving demands to stay sustainable and effective—with mixed results. Higher education is now experiencing some of the same challenges. As universities face increasing pressure to modernize and become more efficient, there’s much to learn from healthcare’s successes and failures.

Healthcare and Higher Education: Similarities (and One Key Difference)

At first glance, healthcare and higher education may seem worlds apart. However, these two industries share striking similarities that shape how they function, influence society, and impact individual lives. 

Both are economically demanding, requiring significant investment not only from individuals but also through public funding, which helps sustain them. This reliance creates a constant balancing act: institutions often have to jump through hoops to maintain access to these funds—in some cases, aligning their policies and practices with the expectations and requirements of funding agencies.

The value both industries provide can be intangible. The outcomes—whether improved health or self-actualization and personal growth through education— may extend beyond what can be quantified and measured. As such, the quality of experiences is crucial.

Heavy regulation adds another layer of complexity; both industries must navigate strict oversight that results in top-heavy administrative structures. While healthcare is more heavily regulated, higher education still faces its own oversight-related challenges. Both sectors must deal with significant bureaucracy (sometimes of their own making), which affects the ability to focus purely on patient care or students’ needs.

Additionally, neither healthcare nor higher ed offers a straightforward path to success. Just as patients heal at different rates and by different methods, learners pursue various educational journeys, from obtaining traditional degrees to following alternative pathways toward microcredentials or badges. 

Despite the numerous similarities, one critical difference stands out: healthcare often deals directly with life-or-death situations. Education, though life-changing, does not carry the same level of immediate, existential consequence. 

What Higher Education Can Learn from Healthcare

Given the parallels between these two industries, it makes sense for higher education to look at trends and shifts that have emerged in healthcare over time. The takeaways can offer valuable guidance as higher education navigates its own challenges. 

For instance, healthcare offers plenty of cautionary tales. The trend toward for-profit conglomerates in healthcare, such as large corporate mergers and the rise of privately owned healthcare systems, has shown that growth for its own sake doesn’t always lead to better outcomes. 

When these systems struggle or fail, it’s often the most vulnerable who suffer the consequences, facing barriers to access that put the institutions at odds with their own missions. Taking note of this misstep, higher education can be mindful of the potential pitfalls of prioritizing financial growth over educational quality and access. 

Trends in healthcare also highlight the importance of balancing innovation with tradition. Some approaches, like the return to homeopathic remedies or holistic practices, remind us that looking back can be just as valuable as looking forward. 

The same can be true for education. Revisiting traditional models, like apprenticeships or hands-on learning, could offer viable alternatives in a landscape where prospective students are questioning the value of a 4-year degree. At the same time, institutions must be open to letting go of old ideas when they no longer serve the needs of modern students.

Perhaps the most important lesson for both industries is to stay mission-aligned as much as possible. The institutions with real staying power are disciplined in their commitment to a clear purpose, whether it’s improving patient outcomes in healthcare or fostering student growth in higher education. By incorporating a blend of common sense, human-centered thinking, data, and business strategies, institutions can remain true to themselves while adapting to new demands.

What lessons have you learned from other industries? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Connect with me on LinkedIn to join the conversation.