How Colleges Are Tackling the Enrollment Crunch
Summary
WSJ reporters Doug Belkin and Roshan Fernandez analyze the higher education enrollment crisis driven by demographic declines and skepticism over degree value. They examine how small private schools like Saint Michael’s and Hampshire College are struggling financially, with the latter facing imminent closure. The discussion covers the "death spiral" of prestige and tuition, highlighting how institutions are innovating through AI, apprenticeships, and rigorous critical thinking to survive this moment of reckoning.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Hard Lessons podcast from Morgan Stanley
Introduction: The higher education enrollment crisis
Demographic decline and questioning degree value
Financial symptoms and the 'death spiral' cycle
Who is affected: Small privates vs. large schools
Tuition pricing strategies and net price declines
Sponsor break and transition to case studies
Case Study 1: Syracuse University's budget shortfall
Case Study 2: Saint Michael's College in Vermont
Case Study 3: Hampshire College closure and student reactions
Innovation in higher ed: AI, apprenticeships, and change
Advice for prospective students in a changing market
Show credits and HPE sponsorship
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