Education analysts and campus leaders laid out five expectations for AI in higher education in 2026: a shift from novelty to ROI‑driven procurement, more selective investment in AI that measurably improves retention or revenue, valuation corrections among AI vendors, a renewed focus on safety and governance, and accelerated workforce redesign to blend human and machine tasks. The piece aggregates predictions from investors and institutional leaders and signals a transition from experimental pilots to measurable outcomes. Finance and academic leaders should prioritize pilots with clear KPIs and prepare for vendor consolidation and increased scrutiny of AI ROI.