The Latest

  • Several brick buildings stand at Harvard University.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scott Eisen via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Defense Department cuts academic ties with Harvard

    The Pentagon no longer plans to sponsor studies of military service members at the Ivy League institution as the Trump administration presses its feud with the university.

  • Aerial view of TAMIU
    Image attribution tooltip

    Permission granted via Schneider Electric

    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by Schneider Electric

    How a Texas university uses data to transform campus energy operations

    TAMIU advances campus modernization with a strategic operational approach powered by real-time data.

  • Focused businessman in headphones writing notes watching webinar
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Four ways chief online learning officers can move innovation forward

    As demand for online learning grows, these leaders must innovate to ensure digital education keeps pace with the changing needs of an institution, one expert writes. 

  • High school students seated at desks, focused on writing during an exam; a girl in a white sweater with rainbow stripes is in the foreground.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Alamy
    Image attribution tooltip

    Education Department doubles down on anti-DEI efforts

    The agency said it would continue to target DEI programs “with or without” a policy letter that set its interpretation of Title VI but was blocked in court. 

  • A bird's eye view of an academic convention, focusing on an orange display booth with signage reading "Elsevier."
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by ActuaLitté is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    Federal judge dismisses antitrust allegations against top publishers

    Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, Wiley, Sage Publications, Taylor & Francis, and Springer Nature scored a win for their peer review and submission policies.

  • Students walking on wide path in sunny California weather.
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Mrgates is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    Santa Monica College approves dozens of layoffs to target shortfalls

    The California public institution is struggling with a persistent structural deficit as well as recent and long-term enrollment declines.

  • Campus buildings seen from a football stadium.
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Aggie0083 is licensed under CC BY 3.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    ‘Shifting, false, and nonsensical’: Former Texas A&M professor sues over firing after viral video

    Melissa McCoul alleged the university violated her First Amendment rights by succumbing to political pressure to terminate her over her course content.

  • A view from up of a floor of a busy conference center.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The top higher education conferences to attend in 2026

    We’re sharing a list of major events to help college leaders and administrators plan their calendars. 

    Updated Jan. 29, 2026
  • Cornell University students sit on campus
    Image attribution tooltip
    Matt Burkhartt via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Lawsuit alleges Cornell ‘brazenly’ refused to consider White candidates for faculty job

    Diversity, equity and inclusion administrators created an interview list consisting entirely of “minority” candidates, the complaint said.

  • .
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Finetooth is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    ‘An urgent operational reality’: Southern Oregon University faces looming cash shortfall

    The struggling regional institution has seen enrollment decline and is now trying to manage its expenses amid constrained revenue.

  • .
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Florida House of Representatives Office of the Majority Leader.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Leadership Ledger

    Florida selects another politician to lead a public university

    We’re rounding up some of last month’s most interesting college leadership changes, from Montana to Michigan.

  • Two people wearing caps and gowns for graduation are standing face-to-face and clasping hands.
    Image attribution tooltip
    SDI Productions via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    FAFSA completions for class of 2026 outpacing last year’s

    The U.S. Department of Education points to an earlier form release date and streamlined user process for the increase in federal financial aid applications.

  • A student walks below a large archway at Princeton University's campus.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Princeton moves to tighten budgets as investment markets slow

    More than half of the Ivy League institution's operating revenue comes from endowment income, but lower returns and higher taxes could stymie growth.

  • A person stands in front of a microphone while other people ate standing around him.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Aaron Schwartz via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump signs $79B education funding bill into law

    The fiscal 2026 budget measure will fund the agency through Sept. 30, giving it about $217 million above the prior year’s funding level.

  • A close-up shot of Gretchen Whitmer smiling.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Bill Pugliano via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Michigan free college program boosted adult enrollment, study finds

    Community college campuses saw an average increase of 623 students due to the program, which seeks to help eligible adults get an associate degree.

  • Image attribution tooltip
    Sara D. Davis via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Duke’s budget and employee cuts called into question by audit

    An analysis of the private North Carolina institution’s finances found ample reserves and resources, drawing a rebuke from faculty.

  • A brick buliding.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Penn undergoes another round of budget-tightening measures

    The Ivy League institution directed leaders of its schools and centers to reduce “certain expenditures” by 4% amid federal policy headwinds.

  • Education Secretary Linda McMahon and President Donald Trump clasp hands as they speak to each other
    Image attribution tooltip
    Anna Moneymaker / Staff via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Education Department paid laid-off OCR staff $38M while dismissing most complaints

    A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found the agency cannot prove the employee cuts improved services.

  • .
    Image attribution tooltip
    Laura Spitalniak/Higher Ed Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Top takeaways for college presidents from AAC&U’s conference

    Leaders at the annual American Association of Colleges and Universities meeting shared insights into how they tackle their most pressing issues.

  • .
    Image attribution tooltip
    Laura Spitalniak/Higher Ed Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    How 3 college leaders work to boost economic mobility

    Three top leaders shared how their public institutions address student needs on diverse campuses.

  • An aerial view of Washington, D.C. that includes the Washington Monument.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Accreditors brace for more change under the Trump administration

    At the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s conference, leaders shared how they’re trying to chart a path forward amid political uncertainty. 

    Updated Jan. 30, 2026
  • Two students walk down a staircase inside a campus building while another group students gather in the corridor.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The trends, policies and lawsuits that will shape higher ed in 2026

    We’re rounding up our outlooks for the year ahead, with expert insight on what college leaders should be watching.

  • A close-up shot of President Donald Trump.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    4 policy trends that should be on college leaders’ radars in 2026

    From accreditation to civil rights probes, we’re rounding up policy shifts we’ll be watching — and expert predictions on how they’ll unfold — for the year ahead. 

  • A man gestures before an out-of-focus background of people gathered.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Texas governor pauses new H-1B visas at public colleges

    Under Gov. Greg Abbott’s moratorium, colleges have until March 27 to fulfill state data requests about the workers they employ under the visa program.

  • College classroom
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Week in review: Navigating ‘relentless’ college leadership roles

    We’re rounding up recent stories, from two states targeting H-1B hiring at public colleges to a plan to rewrite accreditation regulations.

  • .
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee / Staff via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Virginia AG searches for university general counsels to counter ‘federal overreach’

    Attorney General Jay Jones is looking for in-house lawyers for three colleges to “fight back” against the Trump administration’s “politically-motivated assaults.”