From a credit ratings agency examining intensifying pressure on colleges to a public university cutting positions amid a deficit, here are our top-line figures from some of our biggest stories of the week.
By the numbers
2%+
The median increase in net tuition revenue expected in 2024 for both the public and private higher education sector, according to Fitch Ratings analysts. However, this is significantly less than past increases, as colleges face enrollment pressures and heavy competition.
55
The positions that Western Washington University expects to eliminate as it tries to slash its budget by $18 million to remedy a structural deficit. The public university is laying off five employees and eliminating 20 vacant positions this month — with another 30 job cuts coming in the next academic year.
28%
The share of college hopefuls who say they ruled out a higher education institution due to the politics of its home state, according to a new survey from consultancy Art & Science Group. Of students who excluded colleges because of state politics, nearly two-thirds did so at the beginning of their search process.
8.1%
The decline in Hispanic women's earnings after their states passed laws barring race-conscious admissions policies, according to a new working paper. Researchers examined college and workforce outcomes in four states — Washington, Texas, Florida and California — after they barred such practices more than two decades ago.
58%
The share of stopped-out students who say their current financial situation wouldn’t allow them to afford higher education, according to a new survey from UPCEA and StraighterLine. However, around 9 in 10 respondents said they had the academic skills needed to succeed, such as math and critical thinking.
