EDUCATION CONSULTING
Since the turn of the 21st century, the global landscape has shifted dramatically—economically, digitally, and educationally. According to Credit Suisse’s Global Wealth Report, the world’s middle-class population nearly tripled between 2000 and 2019, marking the most significant growth across any socioeconomic segment.
During the same period, the digital revolution took off. Internet penetration skyrocketed from just 16.8% in 2005 to 53.6% by 2019, as reported by the United Nations’ Telecommunication Development Sector.
And the world is getting smarter. A UNESCO-sponsored report found that the global population of college students has more than doubled since 2000—an unprecedented rise in global access to higher education.
All this might seem like an ideal environment for growth in the education sector. The reality, however, is significantly more complicated. Public and private organizations alike face challenges in selecting the right geographical markets for expansion, creating the right educational offerings for each locality, and making the appropriate digital investments for education delivery. The upshot is that in education, a robust strategy is more critical than ever.
With the advent of mass higher education and growth in internationally mobile students, the global higher education market has witnessed a massive boom. Globalization has paved the way for “inclusion,” and higher education’s role in changing mindsets is critical. However, the rapid increase in demand has posed a series of new challenges that need to be addressed more effectively.
For example, affordability in higher education is a concern for students, parents, and policymakers. Over the past 30 years, the inflation-adjusted cost of a bachelor’s degree has gone up by two and a half times. At the same time, the inflation-adjusted wage growth has been much more subdued. Furthermore, to achieve the rate of GDP growth recommended by the World Bank to elevate people from the basic levels of abject poverty, the number of higher education seats would need to increase at 7-8% per annum over the next decade. This implies the need to double the number of seats in the next 10 years.
TNG Consulting’s Global Education Practice (GEP) serves public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit educational institutions. We also work with investors and foundations that are involved with the education industry. We combine primary research with advanced analytics and strategy consulting to help clients realize growth opportunities in new sectors and geographies, including untapped developing countries. Our knowledge bank contains lessons from over 700 engagements in 90 countries — lessons that we bring to bear in helping you formulate strategies of your own.
The plan is to become one of the world’s foremost education consulting firms through leading on-the-ground engagements in numerous countries and industry subsegments. Our 150-plus specialists travel around the globe to provide education-sector consulting services to investors, operators, and philanthropists across various markets; is to lead multiple on-site engagements in all education segments: early childhood, K-12, and higher education.
Nxtium Group has in-depth experience in the higher education space to help with those challenges and many others the sector is facing now. We advise clients in all areas of public and private universities, colleges, and technical, vocational, and training institutions.
HOW WE SUPPORT
Our Global Education Practice partners with public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit institutions of higher education. We also collaborate with private equity investors focused on the higher education sector. In every engagement, we apply a bottom-up, data-driven approach to identify opportunities for sustainable growth—both domestically and internationally. Clients engage us to:
global education practice
education technology
introduction
The digital revolution is rapidly transforming education. Electronic media is replacing costly printed textbooks, while online platforms provide round-the-clock access to learning—whether it’s mastering a new language or attending lectures from renowned scholars at world-class universities. Meanwhile, augmented and virtual reality are pushing digital learning beyond traditional lectures, immersing students of all ages in vivid experiences across different times and places.
With artificial intelligence advancing, cognitive algorithms will soon handle time-consuming tasks such as grading exams, identifying performance gaps, and personalizing lesson plans—freeing educators to focus on inquiry, insight, and meaningful student engagement.
Yet, despite these exciting technological breakthroughs, success in education requires more than innovation alone. Edtech solutions must be easy to adopt and implement, offer clear value to both students and educators, and address markets large enough to sustain profitable, long-term growth.
Fine-tune existing digital capabilities
This includes evaluating your organization’s digital health against the latest edtech innovations across every stage of the student lifecycle. We also develop tailored playbooks to address any gaps in assets or capabilities.
Uncover new opportunities
We collaborate with you to identify technology investments that drive new revenue streams, increase market share, enhance the student experience, and improve student outcomes.
Set change in motion
We help you evaluate current and potential competitive differentiators, prioritizing technology opportunities based on best practices within each education subsegment. We also assess barriers to edtech adoption and develop strategies to overcome them.
Draw linkages between technology and outcomes
We can establish mechanisms for educators to evaluate the value of an edtech application, including measuring its impact on both teaching and learning experiences.
INVESTORS AND ENTREPRENEURS ENGAGE THE GLOBAL EDUCATION PRACTICE TO:
Spot New Ventures
We help you assess geographies, subsegments, and markets within the education landscape that are ripe for edtech disruption. Conversely, we develop frameworks to evaluate edtech investment opportunities, considering key factors, ratios, and performance metrics.
Develop and Test New Offerings
We generate product and service ideas to address unmet needs, along with business cases for each. Our support extends beyond new formats to pricing strategies, and we outline clear processes to bring these ideas to market successfully.
Identify and Target Priority Customer Segments
From influencers and decision-makers to end consumers, we help define tailored value propositions for each segment. Additionally, we optimize the economics from both provider and customer perspectives.
Create Go-to-Market Strategies
We design comprehensive product launch and marketing plans to deliver your offerings effectively and get your message in front of key audiences. Our focus is on efficiently allocating resources to maximize sales and strengthen market positioning.
TRANSITIONAL EDUCATION
INTRODUCTION
Not long ago, globalization in higher education primarily meant studying abroad—typically at a different institution—for a semester or two. Today, transnational education (TNE) takes many forms. Beyond traveling abroad for a full degree, students can now earn foreign credentials online, at local campuses of partner institutions, or even at local branches of foreign universities.
These innovations respond to growing global demand for educational choice, cultural exposure, language proficiency, and professional mobility. However, meeting this demand requires extensive networks and expertise to access the TNE student pool. It also demands carefully designed programs that maximize international students’ experiences and set them on the path to success. Additionally, success hinges on understanding critical factors such as currency markets, immigration quotas, regulatory environments, and how TNE aligns with your long-term organizational goals.
Driven by rising household incomes in developing markets and a strong appetite for quality tertiary education, international student mobility is a lasting trend. Universities worldwide—and standalone pathway providers—have been investing heavily in their products, services, and capabilities to attract their share of international, full-fee-paying students.
TNG’s Global Education Practice possesses deep expertise in the TNE market. We have advised pioneers in developing, managing, and scaling collaborative arrangements and TNE programs to achieve significant growth.
k-12 education
introduction
Getting the K-12 system right is vital to a nation’s development. When primary and secondary education succeed, they become powerful catalysts for social change and nurture the leaders of tomorrow. However, improving capabilities and outcomes requires strategic focus and timely interventions from both the private and public sectors.
Providers often struggle to keep pace with demand. Some expand their networks only to face shortages of qualified teachers, while others contend with declining enrollment due to local birth rate drops. Additionally, navigating state and local regulations, adapting to evolving standards, and addressing access challenges add complexity. Meanwhile, the diverse needs of parents and students vary significantly across communities.
TNG’s Global Education Practice brings extensive experience across the primary and secondary education market. We advise operators, investors, and foundations by providing relevant research and strategic guidance to help clients deploy resources for optimal success.