Enrollment
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Bowie State University plans to cut nearly 80 jobs
The public Maryland institution is grappling with reduced state funding, a drop in enrollment and rising costs.
By Ben Unglesbee • May 8, 2026 -
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Southern Oregon University plan would cut or consolidate 13 academic units
A proposal to address a financial crisis has garnered pushback from faculty and others who worry about the university’s mission.
By Ben Unglesbee • May 7, 2026 -
Explore the Trendline➔
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TrendlineEnrollment and Retention
A look at the pandemic's continuing impact on enrollment and how colleges can ensure students stay on course.
By Higher Ed Dive staff -
The image by COGpio is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
East Carolina University plans to cut 44 academic programs
The university launched a review of its offerings last fall along with a push to shed $25 million from its budget as it wrestles with enrollment pressure.
By Ben Unglesbee • April 27, 2026 -
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Sponsored by Rize EducationThe subsidy trap: Are small colleges chasing the wrong markets?
Are the markets small colleges are chasing actually more reliable than their core residential model?
April 20, 2026 -
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Sponsored by CampusESPWhen families are informed, students stay enrolled
Family access to critical student data is linked to higher retention and persistence.
April 13, 2026 -
Iowa State plans to cut or merge 23 programs after mandated review
The state’s board of regents last year directed public universities to look at low-enrollment programs and recommend closures.
By Ben Unglesbee • April 10, 2026 -
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COVID remote learning put drain on college enrollment
The percentages of students completing the FAFSA, taking the ACT or signing up for the first year of college fell in 2020-21, NBER data shows.
By Anna Merod • April 10, 2026 -
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Per-student state funding for higher ed dips for first time in years
Enrollment gains at public colleges surpassed increases in state and local support in the 2025 fiscal year, according to an annual report.
By Natalie Schwartz • April 9, 2026 -
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Indiana public colleges to cut or merge about 580 programs due to state law
A new statute took effect last year that seeks to cull academic offerings that produce low numbers of graduates.
By Natalie Schwartz • April 3, 2026 -
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Deep DiveWhat can financial metrics actually tell college leaders about their programs?
Measuring the costs and revenues of academic offerings isn't straightforward, but those accounting decisions have big implications in an era of austerity.
By Ben Unglesbee • April 2, 2026 -
Oregon State hikes tuition over 6% for new students amid budget gap
Trustees at the public university approved the increase Friday in the face of a $14 million budget shortfall.
By Ben Unglesbee • March 16, 2026 -
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Black students are the fastest growing demographic for Common App
Data suggests "no meaningful deviations" from previous trends after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision ending race-conscious admissions.
By Naaz Modan • March 13, 2026 -
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Portland State University could close 3 departments, trim over a dozen others
The public institution is grappling with a $35 million budget hole, but some faculty criticized the plan for cuts as “hasty and unimaginative.”
By Ben Unglesbee • March 11, 2026 -
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Education Department urged to broaden ‘professional’ student definition
Professional students will be able to borrow $100,000 more than other graduate students, but a proposed rule would exclude certain fields from the higher cap.
By Ben Unglesbee • March 3, 2026 -
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University of Iowa seeks to cut 7 degrees
The proposed eliminations follow a mandated review that flagged undergraduate majors and master’s degrees deemed to have low enrollment.
By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 26, 2026 -
Q&A
Can Drexel’s new president make the university into a household name?
Antonio Merlo discussed leading the Philadelphia private nonprofit through an academic transformation and navigating higher education’s choppy waters.
By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 23, 2026 -
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Sponsored by EncouraThe comeback starts here: How university leaders are reclaiming the future of higher ed
As pressures mount against higher education institutions and the industry as a whole, colleges and universities are stepping up to lead higher education’s comeback.
By Richard Garrett, Eduventures Chief Research Officer at Encoura • Feb. 23, 2026 -
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University of North Texas braces for budget cuts amid $45M deficit
The institution’s leader attributed the gap to drops in state funding and larger-than-expected declines in international graduate enrollment.
By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 18, 2026 -
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Deep DiveInternational enrollment is under pressure. How can colleges respond?
Amid tighter visa policies, experts suggest colleges expand recruitment efforts and provide foreign students with more flexibility to help them feel welcome.
By Danielle McLean • Feb. 17, 2026 -
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‘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.
By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 4, 2026 -
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Fall 2025 enrollment increased 1% — but the devil is in the details
Undergraduates drove growth, but graduate headcounts fell amid a loss of foreign students, per the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
By Laura Spitalniak • Jan. 15, 2026 -
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Sponsored by Concept3DWhat the 2026 salary report reveals about retention risk in higher ed marketing
New salary data highlights growing retention risks for higher ed marketing teams.
Jan. 12, 2026 -
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Guilford College comes off accreditor probation after budget cuts
The college was hunting for cash to balance its budget just six months ago. But donations and cost cuts saved it from accreditation loss.
By Ben Unglesbee • Dec. 10, 2025 -
Wisconsin public universities could start shedding programs more rapidly
A committee developed a new metric based on enrollment that could increase the number of degrees that get flagged for review.
By Ben Unglesbee • Dec. 10, 2025 -
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S&P: Negative outlook for nonprofit colleges in 2026
The credit ratings agency on Tuesday cited federal policy shifts, rising costs and increased competition over students.
By Ben Unglesbee • Dec. 3, 2025
