Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists

  • University of Phoenix
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    "University of Phoenix" by Ryan McKnight is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Is University of Idaho’s acquisition of University of Phoenix a good idea?

    Higher education experts warn that the public institution’s leaders will have to contend with the for-profit’s checkered past and take on unknown liabilities.

    Natalie Schwartz • May 22, 2023
  • A mountain side view down to a small rural town in autumn.
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    The image by Kenneth Green is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    California becomes battleground over bachelor’s degrees at community colleges

    Two of the state's higher ed systems are clashing over the right to offer students four-year degrees.

    Laura Spitalniak • May 11, 2023
  • A George Washington University student holds up a protest sign.
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    Permission granted by Taytum Wymer
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    George Washington University’s plan to arm campus police ignites concerns over racially motivated violence

    Students and faculty have highlighted the role of armed campus officers in fatal shootings nationwide, a renewed conversation since George Floyd’s murder.

    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • May 8, 2023
  • Morgan State University campus with sign
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    Permission granted by Morgan State University
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    HBCUs level up: Funding pours in to tackle critical needs and rewrite history after George Floyd

    Historically Black institutions also saw an influx of pandemic money from government and philanthropy. But they say it's not enough.

    Danielle McLean • April 14, 2023
  • Rows of books sit on shelves.
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    marcoventuriniautieri/E+ via Getty Images
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    Why Vermont State’s digital library idea is so controversial

    Digital-first libraries already existed in higher education. But librarians have concerns about adopting them for all disciplines and materials.

    Lilah Burke • March 8, 2023
  • A headshot of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul
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    John Lamparski via Getty Images
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    A year later, governor’s revitalization plan for SUNY still getting off the ground

    Kathy Hochul wants to burnish some institutions’ research profiles and reverse the system’s declining enrollment to grow to 500,000 students.

    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Feb. 14, 2023
  • A headshot photo of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Free college keeps growing — at the state level

    Elected officials are calling for new programs and expansions. Policy wonks sometimes critique design choices, but free remains a powerful hook.

    Lilah Burke • Feb. 9, 2023
  • Four young women participate in a cooking class in an industrial kitchen.
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    The image by Sterling College is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    What can work colleges teach the rest of higher ed?

    Amid high worries about higher ed's value in the job market, work colleges offer lessons on integrating classroom learning with employment opportunities.

    Laura Spitalniak • Updated Feb. 17, 2023
  • A graduation cap sits on rows of money.
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    Rawf8 via Getty Images
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    7 higher education trends to watch in 2023

    Federal financial aid will continue to hog the spotlight, but we're also waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on race-conscious admissions.

    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 4, 2023
  • Picket signs can be seen in front of a UCLA sign.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    What the UC strike meant to the academic workers who walked the picket lines

    Before a recent agreement, strikers spoke of hope for relief from crushing living costs and a growing sense of connection to others in their shoes.

    James Anderson • Dec. 22, 2022
  • Campus Hall at the University of Pennsylvania
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    The image by Bestbudbrian is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Why one Ivy League university joined the move to ditch enrollment deposits

    University of Pennsylvania was waiving its $400 deposit for about a fifth of its students. Abandoning it aims to reduce barriers for low-income students.

    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated Dec. 15, 2022
  • A sign spells out the name of Notre Dame of Maryland University
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    Rick Seltzer/Higher Ed Dive
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    Women’s colleges are going co-ed to survive. Does it threaten their missions?

    The number of women's colleges has dwindled, raising questions about the best way to adapt to a changing enrollment and social climate.

    Lilah Burke • Nov. 7, 2022
  • Young woman working at home - stock photo
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    damircudic via Getty Images
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    OPMs are having a rocky time. Is a ‘culling of the herd’ next?

    Regulatory and enrollment changes heap pressure on online program managers. What happens next matters for the companies and colleges.

    Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 20, 2022
  • A person sits at a table holding a book and pencil.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    8 big questions as colleges start fall 2022

    Will higher ed’s financial picture clear? Can campuses innovate? Is a new generation of presidents ready to rise to the moment?

    Rick Seltzer • Sept. 6, 2022
  • A statue of the University of Southern California school mascot, the Trojan, stands on the campus in Los Angeles, California.
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    David McNew via Getty Images
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    Greek life chapters are rejecting their colleges. Here’s what it means.

    Fraternities disaffiliating from the University of Southern California exemplify an emerging — and dangerous — trend nationwide, experts say.

    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 23, 2022
  • People hold signs and flags calling for action to address climate change.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    What’s the outlook for college fossil fuel divestment?

    This year hasn't had 2021's high-profile announcements, but trends say colleges are likely avoiding coal, oil and gas — whether they trumpet it or not.

    Lilah Burke • Aug. 15, 2022
  • Health workers sit at a check-in table at a pop-up monkeypox vaccination clinic which opened by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Here’s what colleges should know to prepare for monkeypox

    Health experts say institutions should work with groups that support gay and bisexual men, who are disproportionately contracting the virus.

    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 10, 2022
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    Al Bello via Getty Images
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    Colleges dabble in development as high-priced housing markets squeeze their employees

    Local conditions vary, but from Vermont to California, college leaders are seeking ways to make sure their students and employees can afford housing.

    Lilah Burke • June 6, 2022
  • Community members grieve after a shooting in Uvalde, Texas leaves 19 children and 2 adults dead.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    'Waiting for the next thing': What it's like teaching after a mass shooting

    Educators are expected to teach through emotional and psychological side effects reaching far beyond communities impacted by tragedies.

    Naaz Modan • May 26, 2022
  • The Education Department's seal can be seen on a podium.
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    The image by U.S. Department of Education is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Colleges twist in the wind with foreign gift requirements in limbo

    Higher education is struggling to understand its current legal requirements, even as Congress debates changes to those laws.

    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • April 14, 2022
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    Drew Angerer via Getty Images
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    Free college didn't die with federal inaction. It moved.

    Free college's momentum shifted from the federal level to state and local programs, signaling the movement's durability. How will it change institutions?

    Lilah Burke • April 4, 2022
  • McMullen Hall at Montana State University Billings
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    "McMullen Hall at Montana State University Billings" by Ali Eminov is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Colleges seek better ways to rename buildings

    Campuses consider policies for renaming buildings as higher ed reexamines who deserves to be honored. Has a shared framework emerged?

    Laura Spitalniak • March 22, 2022
  • North Carolina State Capitol
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    The image by Jim Bowen is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    North Carolina expands its $500 tuition program. Will it keep paying for it?

    NC Promise adds Fayetteville State, overcoming resistance to lawmakers cutting HBCU tuition. State funding has so far compensated other colleges.

    Liz Farmer • March 15, 2022
  • Tennessee Capitol building
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    Susanne Neumann via Getty Images
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    Is $318M enough to fix underfunding at Tennessee's only public HBCU?

    The state's governor is pitching new spending after a report revealed decades of underfunding, but experts say it doesn't go far enough.

    Natalie Schwartz • March 11, 2022
  • Tucson Arizona skyline cityscape panorama framed by saguaro cactus, mountains - stock photo
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    dszc via Getty Images
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    Behind U of Arizona's decision to strengthen its ties to its Global Campus

    Faculty members have questions after the university took joint responsibility for the online college's federal financial aid eligibility.

    Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 18, 2022