A new report surveying 115 higher education professionals has found that while WordPress remains a foundational CMS across universities, confidence in its future is mixed — and expectations are rising fast.

The State of WordPress in Higher Education 2025 report, released this week, is the result of a year-long collaboration between WPCampus and enterprise agency Human Made. It provides the first comprehensive look at how institutions are using WordPress, what’s working, and where frustrations lie. 

Gianna Legate, Human Made’s Head of Content, reflected on the findings in a blog post announcing the report, noting: “It’s clear from the data: WordPress is not just holding its ground in higher education – it’s thriving. But it’s also a time of change, caution, and re-evaluation.”

Among the key findings: 70% of respondents say WordPress meets or exceeds their expectations, with extensibility, multisite support, and cost cited as top reasons for adoption. But 62% report internal discussions about whether to continue using the platform. Just 4% say they plan to leave WordPress, with most (61%) adopting a cautious “wait and see” approach.

The report highlights a split between satisfaction with WordPress as a secure, extensible platform and concerns about its direction and usability. Adoption of the Block Editor remains uneven — only 40% of respondents have implemented it across all sites — and Full Site Editing is still a nonstarter for most, with 62% not using it at all. Key blockers include a lack of resources, training gaps, plugin compatibility, and usability concerns.

Many institutions cited under-resourced teams, with 69% reporting insufficient headcount and nearly a third pointing to gaps in training and technical capacity. While 81% of universities provide some WordPress training, most limit it to content editing and general use, with little ongoing onboarding or support.

Accessibility, editorial workflows, and long-term sustainability top the list of priorities for 2025, while plugin bloat and governance remain pain points. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they want to see changes to the WordPress governance model, and 20% expressed interest in a fork. Accessibility-related plugin issues — including poor testing, bloated features, and freemium models — were also common concerns.

“The report highlights both the platform’s strengths and the opportunities for growth within the higher education WordPress community,” WPCampus notes in the report’s closing statement. “Several themes emerged from the survey for our higher education community. These include a continued focus on accessibility, content governance, and curating the author experience, which will remain important priorities in the upcoming year.”

 The full report is available for download on the Human Made website.

The post WordPress Holds Ground in Higher Ed But the Sector Is Demanding More, According to New Report appeared first on The Repository.