After years of virtual gatherings, higher ed leaders are ready to reconnect with old friends and forge new connections over coffee breaks and evening receptions. There’s a certain magic to those impromptu conversations and chance encounters that simply can’t be replicated through a webcam.
We have curated a list of higher ed conferences and professional development programs to help you navigate the changing landscape. Whether virtual, hybrid or in-person, many more sessions are also available to registrants as on-demand content, a trend that seems likely to stay.
Here is our guide to the college leadership conferences that typically dot the higher education professional development calendar, with a breakdown of the current plans for how each will be held in 2026-27.
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Higher Education Conferences Happening in Fall 2026
EDUCAUSE Annual Conference
- Website: events.educause.edu
- When: September 29 – October 2, 2026 (In-person) | October 14–15, 2026 (Online)
- Where: Denver, CO & Online
- Attendance: Hybrid
- Cost: Starting at $889
The EDUCAUSE Annual Conference connects the best thinkers in higher education technology. This is THE event where professionals and technology providers from around the world gather to network, share ideas, grow professionally, and discover solutions to today’s challenges.
NACAC Conference 2026
- Website: nacacconference.org
- When: October 8–10, 2026
- Where: Minneapolis, MN
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: Starting at $450
NACAC Conference 2026 will take place October 8-10 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The premier event for college admission counseling professionals will feature over 6,500 attendees, 200+ exhibitors, hours of networking, 100+ education sessions, and more.
Digital Collegium 2026 (formerly HighEdWeb)
- Website: events.digicol.org
- When: October 18–21, 2026
- Where: Pittsburgh, PA
- Attendance: Hybrid
- Cost: Starting at $275
Digital Collegium (formerly HighEdWeb) is a professional community dedicated to advancing higher education through digital innovation. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your career, you’ll find a welcoming community ready to share actionable strategies, fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.
2026 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education
- Website: ama.org
- When: November 8–11, 2026
- Where: Aurora, CO
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: Starting at $1,339
The AMA Symposium is the “must-attend” for marketing directors and CMOs. The program is designed to help you refine your strategy, strengthen your institution’s reputation and ensure long-term financial health.
UPCEA MEMS Annual Conference
- Website: conferences.upcea.edu/marketing26
- When: November 30 – December 2, 2026
- Where: Orlando, FL
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: Starting at $945
The UPCEA MEMS Annual Conference brings together professionals across graduate, online, and professional education to explore how institutions can better connect strategy to student outcomes. With a focus on innovation and impact, MEMS is where forward-thinking teams come to rethink how marketing and enrollment functions work together.
Higher Education Conferences Happening in Winter 2027
Carnegie Conference 2027
- Website: carnegiehighered.com/events/carnegie-conference-2027
- When: January 27–28, 2027
- Where: Orlando, FL
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: Starting at $895
The 15th annual Carnegie Conference brings together leaders across enrollment, marketing, and student success for two days of insight, connection, and forward-thinking strategy. Registration includes 5:00 p.m. entry to Epcot on Wednesday night plus a private dessert party and fireworks viewing in the France pavilion — arguably the best conference reception in higher ed.
InsightsEDU 2027
- Website: https://insightsedu.educationdynamics.com/event/
- When: February 23–25, 2027
- Where: Phoenix, AZ
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: Starting at $845
EducationDynamics’ annual conference is one of the few focused specifically on the Modern Learner — online, graduate, adult, and post-traditional students. The 2027 theme is “Empowering Possibility,” centered on the idea that while technology and market forces reshape higher ed, lasting transformation is driven by people.
American Council on Education Experience 2027 (ACEx2027)
- Website: https://www.acenet.edu/Events/Pages/ACEx2027.aspx
- When: March 2-7, 2027
- Where: Washington, DC
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: TBD
ACE’s annual meeting is where presidents, provosts, and senior cabinet leaders gather to talk federal policy, institutional strategy, and the future of the sector. Not a marketing conference per se — but if you’re a CMO who needs to understand what’s keeping your president up at night, this is the room.
AGB National Conference on Trusteeship 2027
- Website: https://agb.org/events/national-conference-on-trusteeship-2027/
- When: March 13–15, 2027
- Where: Washington, DC
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: Starting at $1,830
AGB brings together presidents, trustees, and senior leaders to tackle governance challenges — board-president partnership, academic freedom, financial sustainability. Useful context for anyone whose work involves institutional reputation at the board level.
SXSW EDU 2027
- Website: https://sxswedu.com/news/2026/sxsw-edu-2027-dates-announced/
- When: March 13–16, 2027
- Where: Austin, TX
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: TBD
SXSW EDU returns with four days of speakers, workshops, competitions, performances, and films in downtown Austin. New for 2027: SXSW EDU kicks off the first weekend of SXSW, and Crossover Day expands to two days (March 15–16), meaning EDU attendees get access to select SXSW Innovation, Film & TV, and Music programming. If you want your brand thinking pushed outside the higher ed echo chamber, this is the one.
Higher Education Conferences Happening in Spring 2027
CASE DRIVE 2027
- Website: https://www.case.org/conferences-training/drive-2027
- When: March 31 – April 2, 2027
- Where: Austin, TX
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: Starting at $1,335
DRIVE offers a focused learning and networking experience for education institutions and other nonprofit organizations who work with and use data and analytics to propel their programs. Increasingly relevant for marketers as attribution, audience segmentation, and reporting expectations climb.
AACRAO Annual Meeting 2027
- Website: https://www.aacrao.org/annual-meeting/
- When: April 4–7, 2027
- Where: Long Beach, CA
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: TBD
The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers convenes a global network of enrollment, records, and admissions professionals. Strong programming on the operational side of the funnel — the part marketing hands off to.
AMA Virtual Conference: Higher Ed
- Website: https://www.ama.org/events/general/virtual-conference-higher-ed/
- When: April 14, 2027
- Attendance: Online
- Cost: Free
Marketing in higher education comes with its own challenges: longer decision cycles, multiple stakeholders, and audiences ranging from prospective students to parents to alumni to the media. This free virtual conference is designed specifically for those marketing in higher ed looking to sharpen recruitment, engagement, and retention strategies in a competitive and fast-changing landscape.
2027 Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Annual Conference
- Website: https://www.hlcommission.org/learning-center/annual-conference/
- When: April 17–19, 2027
- Where: Phoenix, AZ
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: Starting at $775
Geared toward administrators, faculty, and institutional leadership, with sessions on accreditation, compliance, and emerging best practices. Relevant to marketers responsible for accuracy in program claims and outcomes messaging.
2027 UPCEA Annual Conference
- Website: https://conferences.upcea.edu/annual2027/
- When: April 13–15, 2027
- Where: Anaheim, CA
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: Starting at $1,045
UPCEA’s flagship gathering for deans, chief online learning officers, and teams running professional, continuing, and online education. Sessions span federal policy, finance and operations, marketing and enrollment management, instructional design, and alternative credentials.
NAGAP 2027 Graduate Enrollment Management Summit
- Website: https://www.nagap.org/annual-summit
- When: April 21–24, 2027
- Where: New Orleans, LA
- Attendance: In-person
- Cost: TBD
NAGAP is the only professional organization dedicated exclusively to graduate enrollment management, and the Summit covers the full graduate lifecycle — recruitment, admissions, financial aid, and academic affairs. If grad and professional programs are your growth strategy, this is your conference.
Did we miss any higher ed conferences? Have any of these been updated already? Let us know on LinkedIn or email hello@voltedu.com.
