Genetec has released education-specific findings from its 2026 State of Physical Security Report, showing that K-12 schools and higher education institutions are prioritizing improved campus visibility, faster incident response and unified security systems while continuing to face budget constraints.
According to the report, 74% of K-12 respondents and 72% of higher education respondents identified budget limitations as their biggest challenge. Even with those constraints, schools are increasingly relying on physical security data, with 86% of higher education respondents and 79% of K-12 respondents using it to monitor and respond to campus incidents. Nearly 80% of respondents also reported using security systems to manage and audit building access for students, staff and visitors.
Improved visibility and situational awareness ranked as the top metrics used to justify security investments, cited by 77% of higher education respondents and 64% of K-12 respondents. In K-12, 62% of respondents also said compliance with district, state or federal regulations is a primary driver for security spending.
“Education institutions are under pressure to strengthen campus safety while managing limited budgets,” said Stephen Homrighaus, vertical sales director, education at Genetec. “By unifying video, access control, and other security data into a single platform, schools can improve visibility, respond more quickly to incidents, and meet compliance requirements, all while making the most of their existing investments.”
