Benchmarking Data and Insights for Higher Ed HR Strategy
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Benchmarking your institution’s benefits against its peers helps identify where it may not be competitive.
It can also help isolate benefits that should be refined or better promoted to your workforce.
And notably, since institutions face considerable budget constraints, using benchmarks is a great way to help prioritize where to invest in benefits.
Segal clients are increasingly recognizing that achieving long-term sustainability and affordability in their total rewards programs requires a shift in how to approach decisions about benefits.
Fluctuating revenues, enrollment pressures, regulatory shifts and ongoing cost escalation complicate budget planning at colleges and universities. While future expenses are consistent concerns, institutions understand that benefits are critical component of the employee value proposition (EVP) for faculty and staff.
As institutions seek to balance benefit programs in a way that manages costs while sustaining an attractive and competitive total rewards package, CUBS data can help.
CUBS found that from 2024 to 2025, after considering plan design changes, health plan cost trend (medical and Rx combined) increased close to 4 percent for PPO/POS plans.
Key Findings on Health Benefits
Preferred provider organization (PPO)/point-of-service (POS) plans are the most prevalent type of medical plan offered, followed by HDHPs (31%)
of PPO/POS plans use copayments for the brand formulary and brand non-formulary prescription drug tiers, with a median copayment of $30 and $50, respectively
Median in-network deductible for individual coverage
The average contribution percentage range for family coverage in PPO/POS plans is 25 to 30 percent, which is lower than multi-industry contribution percentages reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
✓ Most institutions (96 percent) offer a dental PPO plan.
✓ All institutions in CUBS offer a vision plan. In 2025, 75 percent of vision plans were voluntary benefit. Most of these plans are standalone plans.
Top 5 mental health services by the percentage of institutions offering the service:
Top 5 non-financial well-being programs by the percentage of institutions offering them:
Key Findings on DC Retirement Plans
of institutions offer a 403(b) DC plan
of institutions offer an institution match
of institutions offer either immediate vesting or vesting at three years of service
When comparing higher ed to all other industries, strong retirement-income benefits are a key differentiator. Most institutions offer a match that usually greatly exceeds what employers in other industries offer.
Moreover, compared to public institutions, private institutions contribute nearly a full percentage point more of compensation to their 403(b) plan.
A large majority (79 percent) of public institutions offer both a defined benefit (DB) pension plan as well as a DC plan.
CUBS also includes data on financial security benefits, including retiree health care, life insurance and other financial security benefits, such as financial consultation/planning services.
Key Findings on Eligibility for Tuition Benefits by Percentage of Institutions Offering
Faculty and staff
Children of faculty and staff
Spouses of faculty and staff
Consequently, tuition benefits are a powerful recruitment and retention tool and remain a key differentiator for higher ed from employers in other industries.
Download the ReportDependent children have more flexibility in how to use tuition benefits than faculty and staff or spouses.
Employee
Spouse
Dependent Children
Fully paid sabbatical leave offerings differ dramatically among employment groups.
Key Findings on Percentage of Institutions Offering a Fully Paid Sabbatical Benefit
Faculty
Administrative and Professional Staff
Clerical and Support Staff
More than three-quarters of institutions (77 percent) also provide an alternative sabbatical benefit for faculty that extends for a longer period but is not fully paid.
CUBS also includes data on these leave programs: vacation, holidays, personal days, formal pooled paid time off plans, sick leave, salary continuance, short-term and long-term disability plans, and maternity, paternity and caregiver paid leaves.
Life-stage benefits tend to be very low-cost and low-maintenance offerings. Consequently, they are a cost-effective way for institutions to improve their overall benefits package.
CUBS includes data on caregiving benefits (other than time off), flexible work arrangements and other life-stage benefits.
CUBS is the most detailed higher education employee benefit benchmark study in the U.S. Segal has conducted CUBS biennially since 2012. CUBS draws on information from our proprietary database of over 400 private and public higher education institutions.
The CUBS report also covers real-time anecdotal information based on what we have seen in our work throughout 2025 and early 2026 with higher education clients that are struggling with how to better position their institutions. Our subject matter experts share what we can expect to see in the benefits arena and offer thoughts on how to address the fast-paced, changing environment.
We can create a custom report using criteria you identify.
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This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice. You are encouraged to discuss the issues raised here with your legal, tax and other advisors before determining how the issues apply to your specific situations.