A chart at the Wall Street Journal shows that in 2010, 13 colleges closed in the U.S.; by 2015, that nuber jumped to 30, and by 2018, it jumped to 68. Every year since, the number of closures has been in the 50s or 60s, with 14 already in 2024. The article notes:
The pace of closures is expected to continue as federal Covid-19 funding dries up and applications drop due to a reduced birthrate, according to analysts and educators. The rise in prices is also one reason many young Americans are re-evaluating the overall value of a four-year degree.
Most at risk of closing are rural liberal arts schools with fewer than 1,000 students. Students are often drawn to their niche programs, tiny class sizes and defined sense of community.
This is not a trend that is going to hit the selective liberal arts colleges (the kinds of schools in the US News "national liberal arts colleges' rankings), but it is going to hit a lot of regional colleges in the years ahead.
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