From cuts at a private nonprofit in Illinois to higher education associations pushing for a deadline extension on a key regulation, here are the top-line figures from some of our biggest stories of the week.
By the numbers
11
The number of degree programs that Columbia College Chicago plans to cut to revitalize its offerings and remedy budget woes. The private nonprofit also plans to eliminate up to 25 faculty positions.
70%
The share of surveyed college presidents who say they aren’t sure if their institutions will meet the reporting deadline for the new gainful employment and financial value transparency rules. Dozens of higher education groups asked the U.S. Department of Education to push back the due date from Jan. 15 to July.
1,500
The number of degrees the University of the District of Columbia aims to award each year. That goal — double the current number of degrees it awards annually — is part of the public historically Black institution’s larger strategic plan to widen its appeal and raise its national profile.
3.4%
The increase in college operating costs in fiscal 2024 compared to the year before, according to the Commonfund Institute's Higher Education Price Index. The increases are more moderate than they were last year, but they continue a trend of elevated costs.
16
The number of years Rep. Tim Walberg, a Republican from Michigan, has been on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The lawmaker will take over as chair of the committee next month.
