Enrollment

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    Baylor stares down $30M deficit after undergraduate enrollment dip

    The Baptist institution in Texas is pausing hiring and delaying capital spending as it tries to shore up the budget gap.

    By • Nov. 11, 2026
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    Penn State wrestles with $124M budget hole

    The public institution projects a $87 million year-over-year drop in tuition revenue amid a fall enrollment decline.

    By • Nov. 10, 2026
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    Iowa public universities exceed revenue projections but brace for enrollment drop

    Despite tuition increases in the most recent fiscal year, leaders see challenges ahead amid demographic shifts, higher costs and lower state tax revenue.

    By • Nov. 5, 2026
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    Undergraduate enrollment inched up this fall, while master’s dips 3.7%

    Early data shows slowing undergraduate growth and further declines among graduate students, per the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

    By • Oct. 29, 2026
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    Michigan public universities lost over 5,000 students in fall 2026

    Just three of the 15 institutions, including the University of Michigan, avoided a year-over-year enrollment decline, according to preliminary data.

    By • Oct. 26, 2026
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    Undergraduate certificates are most at risk of failing new earnings test

    The majority of cosmetology and massage therapy certificate programs fail under a new accountability framework, a Validated Insights analysis found.

    By • Oct. 22, 2026
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    Nearly half of employers say AI will make college degrees more important

    Employers expressed more confidence in the higher education sector than the general public, according to a new Gallup and the Lumina Foundation poll.

    By • Oct. 20, 2026
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    Penn State looks to cut 47 undergraduate degrees

    The public institution is moving to eliminate programs with low enrollment and fading student demand after a multiyear review of its offerings. 

    By • Oct. 13, 2026
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    More students are ruling out colleges based on politics, poll finds

    Art & Science Group found that the share of students who decided against a college based entirely on its home state’s politics rose to 34% this summer.

    By • Oct. 13, 2026
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    Trump administration investigates 9 universities over visa fraud claims

    Many of the institutions named by Vice President JD Vance, including Stanford and Yale universities, said they comply with applicable visa laws.

    By • Oct. 9, 2026
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    Share of Americans who say college is ‘very important’ hits a new low

    Higher education's perceived importance has plummeted since 2013, according to new Gallup data.

    By • Oct. 1, 2026
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    Major public universities report hits to international enrollment

    Several higher ed systems have reported significant foreign student declines in fall 2026 amid increased federal scrutiny.

    By • Sept. 25, 2026
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    University of Maine preparing for staff and faculty layoffs

    The public institution is trying to close a projected $19 million shortfall through budget cuts and improvements to enrollment and revenue.

    By • Sept. 18, 2026
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    Fitch downgrades Xavier University over deficits and weak undergrad demand

    Analysts pointed to worse-than-expected fiscal 2026 financials and a projected budget shortfall for the current fiscal year.

    By • Sept. 17, 2026
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    Q&A

    How La Salle University bounced back from enrollment losses

    Daniel Allen, the Catholic institution’s president, spoke with Higher Ed Dive about regrowing by refocusing on recruiting and strategic fundamentals.

    By • Sept. 14, 2026
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    University of Utah could cut up to 15% of staff ahead of future enrollment drops

    The public institution said it is facing “some of the most significant challenges in its 176-year history.”

    By • Sept. 10, 2026
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    Humanities degrees hit their lowest numbers in decades

    Last year, colleges awarded fewer bachelor's degrees in the humanities than any time since 1991, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences found.

    By • Sept. 8, 2026
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    Cornell, MIT and others can appeal class action status in antitrust case

    Former students accused the colleges of colluding to fix tuition prices and lower financial aid offers.

    By • Aug. 25, 2026
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    International applicant numbers tumble on Common App

    The number of first-time international applicants on the popular application platform declined 10% in the 2025-26 cycle, a new report found. 

    By • Aug. 24, 2026
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    Coalition sues Trump administration over 4-year student visa cap

    Plaintiffs argued that the new rule would be “catastrophic” for universities and international students, and have asked a federal judge to block it.

    By • Aug. 18, 2026
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    University of Nebraska board approves cutting programs with low enrollment

    The eliminations come after a bruising budget-saving push to eliminate degrees last year at the system’s Lincoln campus.

    By • Aug. 14, 2026
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    Bipartisan group of senators introduces bill to ban legacy admissions

    Similar proposals have kicked around for years in Congress, but they’ve yet to become law despite sharpened public scrutiny of the practice. 

    By • July 31, 2026
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    Sonoma State to relaunch NCAA athletics after budget cuts eliminated sports

    The university faced outcry and a lawsuit over its decision to eliminate sports last year as part of broader cuts to close a $24 million deficit.

    By • July 29, 2026
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    S&P: Despite enrollment gains, margins have worsened at colleges

    The credit ratings agency found increases in median headcounts across colleges it rates, but also weakening operating margins in fiscal 2025.

    By • July 15, 2026
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    ETS acquires ACT, consolidating two testing giants

    The move comes as more colleges are going back to requiring standardized tests for admissions.

    By • June 30, 2026