Margin Analysis: Turning Data Into a Program Strategy
July 14, 2026This webinar will provide a practical introduction to margin analysis for academic programs, with a focus on how institutions can use data to inform strategic decision making and strengthen financial sustainability. Explore how revenue, direct expenses, and indirect costs interact at the program and course levels, and how these dynamics can reveal efficiency opportunities and areas for targeted investment. Drawing on real-world higher education use cases, this session will highlight how margin analysis can support more transparent, consistent, and mission-aligned program evaluation processes.
The session will also demonstrate how the Program Economic Analysis (PEA) tool from Forvis Mazars can be used to operationalize margin analysis through interactive dashboards and integration into program assessment processes. In addition, see how PEA helps enable users to examine margins by program and course, analyze enrollment and cost drivers, and drill down into key performance indicators to identify actionable insights. By the end of the session, participants will better understand how to “follow the data” and translate financial insights into academic and operational strategies.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants should be able to:
- Describe the core components of academic program margin analysis, including revenue, direct costs, and indirect expense allocation.
- Use margin analysis to identify high- and low-margin programs and understand key performance drivers.
- Apply margin insights to inform strategic decisions related to program portfolio management, resource allocation, and operational improvements.