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

International 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

‘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

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

What 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

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

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

New international enrollment dipped this fall, NAFSA survey finds

The poll is the second released this month to show significant declines, especially in new foreign graduate students coming to the U.S.

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 26, 2025

Florida public universities plan to cut at least 18 academic programs

The eliminations are part of a regular review of degree productivity based on graduate numbers. The latest review found 214 underperforming programs.

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 24, 2025

Sonoma State University gets new leader after turbulent year of cuts

Cal State veteran Michael Spagna is set to take over the institution in January following widely opposed budget cuts and amid ongoing enrollment troubles. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 21, 2025

Higher education outlook remains negative for 2026, Moody’s says

Enrollment, political and cost pressures abound and will stick around in the new year, analysts said in a recent report.

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 21, 2025

SUNY enrollment grew 2.9% in fall 2025, continuing upward trend

The system's 30 community colleges saw a 5% headcount jump, which New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in part attributed to a new free college initiative.

By Laura Spitalniak • Nov. 20, 2025

Sterling College in Vermont to close

The environmental-focused institution, which has under 40 students, said that closing now was the responsible move to support their transitions.

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 14, 2025

Net tuition rises at colleges, but costs are far below their peaks

The prices students and their families paid after aid at four-year public colleges and private nonprofits ticked up in 2025-26, per College Board estimates. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 7, 2025

How to stop sounding like every other university

Today’s students quickly spot generic, rinse-and-repeat marketing from a university. Cut through the sameness and create a positioning strategy that actually connects.

By Whitney Larimer and Mike Steckel • Nov. 3, 2025

California governor signs Cal State direct admissions program into law

A pilot version of the program proactively offered thousands of students acceptance into the public university system.

By Ben Unglesbee • Updated Oct. 14, 2025

DePaul University weighs budget measures amid cratering international enrollment

The private Chicago nonprofit is considering cutting executive pay and freezing staff hiring after new international graduate enrollment fell 62% from last year.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 6, 2025

Families at the forefront: What the 2025 Prospective Family Survey means for enrollment strategies

New survey shows what parents of prospective students expect, and how it can impact your enrollment outcomes.

Oct. 6, 2025

Inside North Carolina’s direct admissions program

A statewide initiative is offering high school students proactive admission to dozens of public and private colleges, following a pilot last year.

By Danielle McLean • Oct. 3, 2025

College admissions in a rapidly evolving world

Experts dug into diversity trends, college readiness indicators and more at the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s recent conference. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 26, 2025

The difficult human work behind responsible AI use in college operations

Officials should carefully consider if an AI tool can actually address a problem — and then perform audits and error checks after it’s rolled out, experts said.

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 25, 2025

Just how integral is calculus to college readiness?

Higher education experts say viewing the math course as a proxy for rigor presents equity-related and pedagogical problems.

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 24, 2025

Digging into diversity in college admissions

Researchers pointed to disparities by race among prospective and admitted students during a Friday presentation at an annual admissions and counseling conference.

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 23, 2025

What today’s students really want — and what that means for higher ed

1,500+ students reveal what's broken in higher ed—and how to fix it.

By Ellucian • Sept. 22, 2025