K-12 enrollment lagged projections by 2% in 2021, revealing college pipeline cracks

About 833,000 fewer public school seats were filled across the country, with several traditionally underserved demographics showing notable declines.

By Rick Seltzer • March 1, 2023

Most students interested in study abroad pick a college based on where they can travel

Colleges can make study abroad more accessible by sharing financial aid information, students said in a new survey.

By Laura Spitalniak • March 1, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Community Colleges

The nation’s community colleges look to innovative programs and funding models as they work to boost enrollment and stay financially afloat in the changing higher education world.

By Higher Ed Dive staff

Rankings provider U.S. News buys college advising service

The publication known for its embattled Best Colleges rankings acquired CollegeAdvisor.com, it said Tuesday.

By Rick Seltzer • Feb. 21, 2023

A year later, governor’s revitalization plan for SUNY still getting off the ground

Kathy Hochul wants to burnish some institutions’ research profiles and reverse the system’s declining enrollment to grow to 500,000 students.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Feb. 14, 2023

Worries run high about digital credentials’ expense, academic degrees’ relevance for STEM jobs, survey finds

Credentials’ promise and possible pitfalls weigh on students and employees alike, finds survey based on 14,000 interviews in 13 countries.

By Rick Seltzer • Feb. 14, 2023

Size matters for surviving the enrollment drop

The largest colleges have been growing over the last decade, while enrollment shrank elsewhere.

By Ricardo Azziz • Feb. 13, 2023

Sweet Briar College’s president looks back on what it was like to take over a college on the brink of closing

Meredith Woo started at the women's college in 2017 after alumni refused to close it. She reflects on her tenure after announcing plans to leave in 2024.

By Lilah Burke • Feb. 10, 2023

Free college keeps growing — at the state level

Elected officials are calling for new programs and expansions. Policy wonks sometimes critique design choices, but free remains a powerful hook.

By Lilah Burke • Feb. 9, 2023

Students who met with counselors more likely to apply for college aid

Some 87% of 9th graders from 2009 who consulted with a school counselor completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, an NCES study found.

By Kara Arundel • Feb. 8, 2023

What college administrators should keep tabs on in 2023

These are the trends, stories and key admissions topics that are expected to shape the year ahead.

By Higher Ed Dive Staff • Feb. 8, 2023

ABA panel deals a blow to test-optional push

The proposal isn’t dead yet, as another American Bar Association governing panel could unilaterally adopt policy changes.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Feb. 6, 2023

What can work colleges teach the rest of higher ed?

Amid high worries about higher ed's value in the job market, work colleges offer lessons on integrating classroom learning with employment opportunities.

By Laura Spitalniak • Updated Feb. 17, 2023

Wealthy colleges should just admit more students, one of their biggest critics says

In the second of a two-part conversation, Evan Mandery dives into specific reforms he thinks would help higher education — at the top and elsewhere.

By Rick Seltzer • Feb. 3, 2023

Undergraduate enrollment slips only 0.6%, showing signs of stabilizing

Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center offers hope that enrollment isn't continuing a steep pandemic-era plunge.

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 2, 2023

Challenges at Virginia’s New College Institute show hurdles for workforce education

NCI has struggled to lock in leadership, employer partners and students who finish programs. Is this a one-off or a warning about the latest higher ed fads?

By Lilah Burke • Jan. 31, 2023

Meet one of wealthy colleges’ biggest critics

Evan Mandery attacks elite colleges' practices, from admissions inequities to socioeconomic stratification. This is the first of a two-part conversation.

By Rick Seltzer • Jan. 27, 2023

6 college admissions experts share their biggest predictions for 2023

A pending Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions and other shifts like ChatGPT’s effects on application essays could upend the landscape.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 23, 2023

Presentation College in South Dakota plans to close

The Catholic college's enrollment fell sharply in recent years. Leaders decided teach-outs are the "most responsible way" to help students get degrees.

By Rick Seltzer • Jan. 18, 2023

Saint Joseph’s University plans second acquisition in 2 years

The acquisition represents an expansion outside of Philadelphia for the Jesuit University, which is making a bid for prominence in a competitive market.

By Rick Seltzer • Jan. 18, 2023

Researchers hope to boost community college transfer and make it more equitable

Leaders detail a new project disaggregating data on who transfers and earns a bachelor's degree. It also seeks to document best practices for colleges.

By Lilah Burke • Jan. 17, 2023

CFOs optimistic about their own colleges’ finances, survey says

Almost 9 in 10 financial officers predicted financial stability for their colleges, an uptick software vendor Syntellis called "optimism against the odds."

By Rick Seltzer • Jan. 10, 2023

U.S. News & World Report reworks law school rankings, but Yale won’t return

Other law school deans aren’t satisfied, either. The magazine also said it has no intention of ending its rankings system.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 3, 2023

Fix HBCU underfunding with bipartisan legislation, report says

States like Maryland and Tennessee offer examples for how to fund HBCUs equitably, the Hunt Institute argues.

By Laura Spitalniak • Dec. 21, 2022

How can colleges adapt their financial aid offices for prison education programs?

A ban on Pell Grants for people in prison is ending. Replicating standard practices won’t work for incarcerated students, a new NASFAA report says.

By Laura Spitalniak • Dec. 20, 2022

Community college transfer gap challenges equity anew

InsideTrack's president suggests some fixes after the rate of women transferring from two-year to four-year institutions fell during the pandemic.

By Ruth Bauer White • Dec. 19, 2022