Enrollment

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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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    Enrollment 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
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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
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    Private colleges grew revenue last year — but not by enough, Fitch says

    Costs, competition and ‘adversarial federal policy’ are weighing heavily on private colleges, according to analysts with the credit ratings agency.

    By • June 24, 2026
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    A ‘new normal’: Syracuse faces enrollment dip, first deficit in years

    The New York institution has so far dodged many of its peers’ woes. But demographic shifts and enrollment declines are weighing on its finances.

    By • June 12, 2026
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    Marshall University to cut 7 programs, expand others

    The public West Virginia institution’s tweaks to its offerings follow a state-mandated review and come amid an effort to shrink its deficit.

    By • June 12, 2026
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    Spring enrollment ticks up 1% — but graduate headcounts take a hit

    The increase in students wasn’t felt evenly across the higher education sector, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. 

    By • June 4, 2026
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    SUNY Fredonia cutting 14 degrees, 7 minors

    The public institution is still trying to close a multimillion-dollar deficit after years of enrollment declines.

    By • May 26, 2026
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    Baldwin Wallace University winds down 16 degree programs, 19 minors

    The Ohio private nonprofit’s president said he wants to invest the savings in areas with high student and workforce demand. 

    By • May 20, 2026
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    University of Oregon freezes hiring as it aims to cut $65M from budget

    The public institution’s leaders are projecting a decline in nonresident enrollment for the next academic year, which will bring a fiscal hit. 

    By • May 18, 2026
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    Q&A

    Do enrollment management strategies lead to high debt for poor families?

    The author of a New America report argues efforts to maximize enrollment have left many lower-income families relying heavily on Parent PLUS loans.

    By • May 18, 2026
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    FAFSA completion rate for class of 2026 highest on record

    After the rocky rollout of a new form a little over two years ago, the simplified version is bearing fruit, according to the National College Attainment Network.

    By • May 15, 2026
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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 • 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 • May 7, 2026
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    UCLA medical school faces federal civil rights accusation

    The Trump administration on Wednesday alleged that the highly selective school illegally gives preference to Black and Hispanic applicants.

    By • May 7, 2026
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    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 • April 27, 2026
  • The subsidy trap: Are small colleges chasing the wrong markets?
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    The 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