Class dismissed: Colleges expected to close as enrollment numbers tank

It’s no big secret that the cost of attending a four-year college or university in the United States is out of control. It’s almost gravity defying how the cost of college has increased relative to regular inflation over the past twenty years. In fact, more than 500 nonprofit private colleges have shut down in the last decade according to the Wall Street Journal, which was "three times what it was in the decade prior."

The news is about to get worse, and there is a stern warning announcement coming from the pilot in the cockpit. 2025 is going to have a lot of turbulence followed by potentially weekly plane crashes of colleges and universities who can no longer afford to open their doors. This new reality is the ultimate law of supply and demand and families in America are voting with their feet.

WHY ARE COLLEGES CLOSING AT SUCH A RAPID RATE?
Enrollment
Trend experts have new terminology they call the "enrollment cliff." The number of students enrolled in degree-granting colleges and universities fell by 15% from 2010 to 2021 and only 62% of high school seniors in the U.S. immediately go on to college right now.

That’s a stark contrast to almost fifteen years ago when the number was 68% in 2010, according to government data. Many of the students who opt out of a postsecondary education are low-income students, but even those with means are beginning to choose alternatives. We’ve also seen a spike in the competition for state colleges and universities where parents can enjoy in-state tuition and other possible grant programs offered for only in-state students.

More

Class dismissed: Colleges expected to close as enrollment numbers tank

Colleges and universities in the United States could be facing a crisis as they struggle to meet enrollment numbers due to increase in tuition costs, declining birthrates and the rise of alternate career paths.

www.foxnews.com

 

[mattfivefour]

Frankly, most undergrad degrees are not worth a quarter of a million dollars. I think this is why more and more young people are choosing vocational school. Especially since the stigma attached to trade schools is dissipating. Personally, I think young people would be smart to consider the military. Even if they don't want to make it a career, the training and skills they will learn will help them in a civilian career ... not to mention receiving a disciplined lifestyle and being forced to face the truth that life is not all about them.

 

[Baby Yoda]

I think this is why more and more young people are choosing vocational school.

Was coming to say the same thing, heard a report just yesterday on how many kids are choosing trade schools instead of traditional college. Smart!

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Frankly, most undergrad degrees are not worth a quarter of a million dollars. I think this is why more and more young people are choosing vocational school. Especially since the stigma attached to trade schools is dissipating. Personally, I think young people would be smart to consider the military. Even if they don't want to make it a career, the training and skills they will learn will help them in a civilian career ... not to mention receiving a disciplined lifestyle and being forced to face the truth that life is not all about them.

Agree on the trade schools part of your post. I also include tech schools and some professional schools with trade schools, as they teach practical, marketable skills and knowledge, which industry and business want and need (and often provide adjunct faculty to teach).

I agree that for the right people, military service is or can be a good choice for all of the reasons you listed.

However, not everyone is cut out to be a Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, Spacer? Enlisting solely for the purpose of obtaining GI Bill benefits can create a giant problem when deployment happens and the reality of the military's fundamental job to kill people and break things sets in. People joining, whether officer or enlisted, need to go in with eyes wide open, understanding and accepting realities and possibilities, rather than simply believing the slick ads and recruiters. I've heard too many "but I joined for the education benefits," and "I can't deploy because of my civilian medical practice" (or legal firm, engineering company, research project, etc.). And the sudden mass of pregnancies when an upcoming deployment is announced. Anymore, the National Guard and Reserves deploy as often, and sometimes more often, than the Active Component, so that isn't a good way to have one's cake and eat it, too, like it was at one time.

And the way the world is now, there's concern that one could end up on the wrong side fighting against Israel

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Looks like higher education is going to lose poor performers and the "middle class" of universities and colleges. The very expensive, elite schools will continue, as TPTB, who have money and connections will continue to go there, and the endowments and deep pockets of alumni and benefactors.

The good value colleges and universities (i.e., many State schools) will mostly continue, as they'll still attract budget-conscious students wanting a college education.

But those in-between, pricey, mostly-private schools, which aren't elite, don't have something no other school has (or only an elite school might), aren't going to make it.

The reality is that Christian colleges and universities might not make it, either. That includes seminaries, so the shortage of Pastors will get worse, and the educational opportunities for Pastors will shrink, and the knowledge possessed by new Pastors will be far less Older, experienced Pastors will end up having to fill in the gap, creating more work, potentially delaying retirement, possibly eliminating sabbaticals and extended vacations, etc. Lack of standardization will also make calling more difficult and time-consuming for congregations. Without good seminaries, more places for heresy and apostasy to enter, and potentially inadequate background checks.

Adding to all of this, online schools, which are often very expensive, but make it possible to go to school while managing family, full-time work, etc.


There's a lot of talk about fixing the student loan program. If Dept of Ed limits how much SL money can be used for tuition and it's a lot lower than it is now, then either tuition prices have to fall, or schools will be forced out of business, or their endowments and alumni have to have deep pockets. At the very least, some programs will end up cut, and economies of scale and cost reductions likely implemented (larger class sizes, more machine-readable tests, fewer papers and projects for Professors and TAs to grade, more adjunct faculty,more TAs, more hurdles for tenure, etc.). This will, in turn, increase the competitiveness of State colleges and universities, as those priced out of private schools, who can't get into an elite school, are forced into State university systems.



Boston University, over $90,000 A YEAR, now

 

[Tall Timbers]

Spacer?

Space Cadet

 

[Tall Timbers]

But those in-between, pricey, mostly-private schools, which aren't elite, don't have something no other school has (or only an elite school might), aren't going to make it.

During the many years that we college hunted for each of my 4 children, the cost to attend any out of state college we looked into was about the same as the elite Universities. That surprised me. I expected more pricing tiers. Room and Board varied more, but in most cases cost a fortune in and of itself.

 

[Tall Timbers]

There's a lot of talk about fixing the student loan program.

Borrowing to go to college in my opinion, is a bad idea to begin with. Borrowing for most things is a bad idea to begin with. If the college loan programs didn't exist people would more easily be able to afford to go to college and work their way through with incurring any debt whatsoever because the cost of attending would be much, much lower.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Borrowing to go to college in my opinion, is a bad idea to begin with. Borrowing for most things is a bad idea to begin with. If the college loan programs didn't exist people would more easily be able to afford to go to college and work their way through with incurring any debt whatsoever because the cost of attending would be much, much lower.

The reality is that the student loan program makes it possible for some people to actually go to college, who otherwise couldn't. Unfortunately, colleges and universities have exploited the student loan program by increasing tuition and the cost of doing business outrageously, knowing it would be covered by Uncle Sugar, in turn, making the cost of education far more expensive than necessary. This puts the cost out of reach without loans for more students. The high cost of research, tenured faculty, and huge building projects are major drivers. Add in PC government mandates and quotas and useless classes and programs, which don't benefit anyone, except the instructor, and support/administrative staff, and the accrediting bodies.

These days, people simply don't want to work or have encouraged their kids not to (unless that income is needed for actual family necessities like food and housing). Or people are working, raising families, and can't save enough to make a meaningful dent in the outrageous tuition, or there's only so many hours in a day, so a second or third job isn't possible, so they take out loans.

I also look at workforce counselors, who encourage people to go to school, by telling them their job prospects are better with said education. In a lot of cases, especially among older workers, and in some industries, this might not be entirely true. This also varies by state and region, along with reasons why. It seems as if the employment industry (unemployment offices, workforce "development" offices, etc.) is a racket, and it's in cahoots with the education industry. Both thriving on government money, and without it, many would fail, since they're not providing valuable/useful services for the money.

It seems that the most valuable workforce development programs are the ones run by industry and the unions, because they know what's needed, and teach only what is needed, only to those, who need the training, to keep costs down and value to employers up.

 

[Tall Timbers]

The reality is that the student loan program makes it possible for some people to actually go to college, who otherwise couldn't. Unfortunately, colleges and universities have exploited the student loan program by increasing tuition and the cost of doing business outrageously, knowing it would be covered by Uncle Sugar, in turn, making the cost of education far more expensive than necessary.

Another reality is if a person requires a student loan to go to college, maybe they shouldn't go to college. If they really want to go to college, work long enough to pay for the first year before you go, and save every penny earned by living in parent's house if that is an option, then keep working while you're attending college.

The Bible tells us the borrower is a slave to the lender, and those aren't empty words. These massive student loans have become decades long burdensome weights on the lives of many, all of whom would have been better off never getting the loan in the first place.

 

[Cheeky200386]

Another reality is if a person requires a student loan to go to college, maybe they shouldn't go to college. If they really want to go to college, work long enough to pay for the first year before you go, and save every penny earned by living in parent's house if that is an option, then keep working while you're attending college.

The Bible tells us the borrower is a slave to the lender, and those aren't empty words. These massive student loans have become decades long burdensome weights on the lives of many, all of whom would have been better off never getting the loan in the first place.

This applies to home mortgages too. I wonder how the costs would be if banks never got involved with giving out loans and all of the Fannie Mae programs out there.

It always amazes me how people used to save up their salaries and bought or built their homes outright in this country. Now it feels impossible.

 

[Tall Timbers]

This applies to home mortgages too. I wonder how the costs would be if banks never got involved with giving out loans and all of the Fannie Mae programs out there.

It always amazes me how people used to save up their salaries and bought or built their homes outright in this country. Now it feels impossible.

I agree wholeheartedly. Most Americans are imprisoned by loans for most if not all of their lives and they don't even realize they're in chains, but keep on buying on credit while they struggle day to day to make ends meet.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

This applies to home mortgages too. I wonder how the costs would be if banks never got involved with giving out loans and all of the Fannie Mae programs out there.

It always amazes me how people used to save up their salaries and bought or built their homes outright in this country. Now it feels impossible.

Given the insane rent and housing shortage in some places these days, I'd say renters are slaves, too.

All a renter is doing is paying for the privilege of borrowing something (the apartment) and using it (living in it) for a specified amount of time. At the end of the lease, the renter has nothing to show for the rent paid. Renting causes housing insecurity for old people because of rent increases and not being able to adapt/modify the housing for elderly/handicapped needs when it becomes necessary (in most cases).

 

[Ronnie]

I enrolled in a trade school, but dropped out.

 

[Cheeky200386]

Given the insane rent and housing shortage in some places these days, I'd say renters are slaves, too.

All a renter is doing is paying for the privilege of borrowing something (the apartment) and using it (living in it) for a specified amount of time. At the end of the lease, the renter has nothing to show for the rent paid. Renting causes housing insecurity for old people because of rent increases and not being able to adapt/modify the housing for elderly/handicapped needs when it becomes necessary (in most cases).

Exactly! It’s all a mess.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

I enrolled in a trade school, but dropped out.

Was it not your cup of tea, instructor(s), other students, quality/usefulness of the classes, schedule, transportation/parking, safety, cost, or?

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Vo-Tech schools used to be very inexpensive (free if one was a member of some unions because they paid or reimbursed the tuition or sponsored the school/certain programs). Now they're as expensive as, and sometimes more than, university classes

We have some excellent trade/vocational/technical schools here, but the cost at some is as bad as the U. OTOH, 90-95+ percent placement rate in some programs, to include the graduate making it off probation with the employer/still employed in the industry a year later, is nothing to sneeze at.

The community colleges offer some programs and classes that used to be only at Vo-Tech and business colleges at a much more reasonable cost, but completion/graduation rates and placement rates are much lower in most programs that duplicate Vo-Tech. IDK if the instruction/content is inferior at community college, or if the industry/business contacts are better at Vo-Tech. Or maybe admittance standards, attendance requirements, hands-on or internship opportunities, remediation, work skills classes (getting to work on time, employee interaction, getting along with the boss, etc.), etc. might be different.

 

[Andy C]

Another reality is if a person requires a student loan to go to college, maybe they shouldn't go to college. If they really want to go to college, work long enough to pay for the first year before you go, and save every penny earned by living in parent's house if that is an option, then keep working while you're attending college.

The Bible tells us the borrower is a slave to the lender, and those aren't empty words. These massive student loans have become decades long burdensome weights on the lives of many, all of whom would have been better off never getting the loan in the first place.

Both my sons did not make the proper effort to submit for grants, which they could have received. Because of the lack of effort, I told them they had to take out small college loans. However, I paid about 85 percent of their total education costs by writing checks every semester, and they helped by being Dorm resident advisors their Sophomore and Junior years which allowed them to live on campus for free. Both of them paid off their student loans within 2 years of graduating and we never had to take out loans as parents.

 

[Ronnie]

Was it not your cup of tea, instructor(s), other students, quality/usefulness of the classes, schedule, transportation/parking, safety, cost, or?

I couldn’t keep up with te ten-key calculator, and I was doing poorly in Englsh.