Genetec Highlights Campus Security Priorities for 2026

North American schools and universities are prioritizing faster incident response, better situational awareness, and more unified physical security systems, according to new education-specific findings released by Genetec.

Genetec released the education-specific findings, drawing on responses from North American K-12 and higher education professionals who took part in its wider 2026 State of Physical Security research. The main global report was published in December 2025, while the new release provides a separate analysis of responses from the education sector.

Monitoring and responding to campus incidents was the most common use of physical security data. Some 86% of higher education respondents and 79% of K-12 professionals cited this application.

Security systems also play a major role in controlling access to campus facilities. Nearly 80% of higher education respondents and 77% of K-12 professionals said they use security technology to manage and audit building access for students, staff, and visitors.

Security data supports investigations and preparedness

Physical security data is increasingly supporting activities beyond basic monitoring. Some 76% of higher education respondents and 80% of K-12 professionals use it to investigate student or staff conduct issues.

Campus security systems are increasingly being used not only to record incidents, but to provide the information needed to understand and respond to them.

Emergency preparedness is another significant use case. The findings show that 54% of higher education and 59% of K-12 respondents use physical security data to support emergency response planning and drills.

The results point toward greater demand for unified operations that bring video surveillance, access control, and other security data together. This can give operators a clearer view of incidents and help them respond faster.

Budget pressure remains the main challenge

Funding remains a major constraint. Budget limitations were cited by 72% of higher education respondents and 74% of K-12 professionals.

Budget constraints remain the biggest challenge, cited by 74% of K-12 respondents and 72% of higher education respondents.

Improved visibility and situational awareness were the leading measures used to justify security investment, cited by 77% of higher education and 64% of K-12 respondents. Among K-12 respondents, 62% also identified compliance with safety regulations as a key investment driver.

The findings come from Genetec’s broader 2026 State of Physical Security research, which analyzed 7,368 completed surveys from security professionals across six regions.