Pandemic learning loss could create another enrollment hurdle. What can higher ed do?

WICHE advised higher ed leaders to track K-12 assessment results and make a plan for getting prospective students college ready.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 20, 2024

Hybrid state funding model may increase community college enrollment

However, completion rates for degrees and certificates are not affected by the funding mechanism, researchers found.

By Danielle McLean • Feb. 14, 2024

Marietta College to cut 3 dozen administrators and faculty

The move comes after the private nonprofit in Ohio unveiled plans last year to eliminate 10 academic programs with low enrollment.

By Lilah Burke • Feb. 13, 2024

As states drop degree requirements, does a 4-year diploma’s value change?

Although new policies are propping up workers without degrees, experts say higher education will continue to play a role in hiring decisions and pay rates.

By Danielle McLean • Feb. 8, 2024

High school senior FAFSA submissions drop almost 57% year over year, NCAN finds

The form was available about three months later than usual, and seniors submitted roughly 676,000 forms by late January.

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 6, 2024

Baldwin Wallace University unveils job and program cuts to address budget deficit

The private Ohio institution has operated in the red for the past two years and has seen a decline in enrollment over the last decade.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 6, 2024

Colleges begin pushing back deadlines amid FAFSA delay

The moves come after the U.S. Department of Education said it wouldn’t transmit Free Application for Federal Student Aid data to colleges until March.

By Lilah Burke • Feb. 2, 2024

Colleges should extend May 1 decision deadline amid FAFSA delays, higher ed groups say

Nine higher ed groups said institutions should provide prospective students and their families with flexibility during a tumultuous application cycle.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 1, 2024

3 takeaways from final fall 2023 enrollment counts

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center offered insights into shifting enrollment trends at community colleges and HBCUs.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 24, 2024

Business as a change agent for higher education

Partnerships between businesses and higher education hold the key to pushing through the growing skepticism around the lasting value of a college degree.

By Justin Yancy, President, Texas Business Leadership Council • Jan. 22, 2024

University of New Hampshire to lay off 75 employees to help save $14M

The public institution’s president indicated more cuts could be on the horizon, including program eliminations.

By Laura Spitalniak • Jan. 18, 2024

New York Gov. Hochul unveils direct admissions, mandatory FAFSA proposals

The initiatives, which include admitting the top 10% of high schoolers to the state’s public systems, are part of broader efforts to boost enrollment.

By Laura Spitalniak • Jan. 10, 2024

Investing in DIII athletics doesn’t guarantee higher enrollment, analysis finds

Half of Division III institutions that didn't add varsity sports or head coaches still saw their headcounts rise, the Urban Institute found.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 9, 2024

First-year college applicants have risen 8%, suggests early Common App data

The portal found prospective students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds have applied to college at rates outpacing their peers.

By Laura Spitalniak • Updated Dec. 21, 2023

Why more colleges are adopting direct admissions

The practice — which notifies students that they’re admitted before they even apply — is taking off at public systems and some private institutions.

By Lilah Burke • Dec. 11, 2023

What happened when UW-Madison lifted its out-of-state enrollment cap?

A new working paper suggests the move brought in more tuition revenue, which was used to fund grants for low-income students.

By Lilah Burke • Nov. 27, 2023

‘Affirmative action for well-off students’: Why early decision is under fire

Scrutiny over the practice heightened after the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions earlier this year. 

By Lilah Burke • Nov. 27, 2023

Park University to cut 16 faculty jobs and various academic programs

The private nonprofit institution in Missouri blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for broad financial stress on the higher ed sector.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 21, 2023

SUNY grew enrollment for the first time in a decade, but it’s far from meeting state goals

Gov. Kathy Hochul has aimed for the system to bring in 500,000 students over an unspecified period of time.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 16, 2023

How community colleges are revamping their student onboarding process

Institutions nationwide are overhauling how they help learners understand, select and enter a program of study.

By Lilah Burke • Nov. 15, 2023

4 charts explaining international enrollment trends

The U.S. hosted more than 1 million international students in 2022-23, an 11.5% spike compared to the year before.

By Natalie Schwartz • Nov. 13, 2023

Want to see more students on college campuses? Start by modernizing the admissions process

How higher education is breaking free from the traditional college admissions playbook.

By Luke Skurman, CEO and Founder of Niche • Nov. 13, 2023

Common App expands direct admissions, including partnering with Connecticut

The online portal has started two programs, one with Connecticut institutions and a second with 70 other U.S. colleges.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 2, 2023

Fall 2023 enrollment trends in 5 charts

We’re breaking down some of the biggest developments this term, based on initial figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

By Natalie Schwartz • Updated Nov. 8, 2023

Moody’s: Enrollment hinges on programs aligning with student interests

Subjects like computer and information sciences have attracted more students in recent years, but they can be expensive to expand and upgrade.

By Laura Spitalniak • Oct. 20, 2023