Here's what changed in this year's U.S. News college rankings

The publication is taking a closer look at student debt and letting test-blind schools onto the list.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 14, 2020

Adtalem to buy Walden U in $1.5B deal expanding healthcare programs

Laureate Education is selling the for-profit online college, which enrolls around 50,000 students, as it looks to grow outside the U.S.

By Hallie Busta • Sept. 11, 2020

With fall off to a sputtering start, colleges look ahead to spring

Several schools have announced their academic plans for the upcoming term, with a focus on online and hybrid classes.

By Hallie Busta • Sept. 10, 2020

Inside a private university's decision to create a 2-year college

Drake University plans to start offering associate degrees in 2021 for students seeking an alternative to typical academic programs.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 9, 2020

Colleges met with strikes, collective action over fall reopening plans

Administrators should include faculty members in decision-making and negotiate with their unions over pandemic-related concerns, experts said.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 8, 2020

What's Next: How will the pandemic change college football?

Students and observers are questioning whether players should be treated better and if athletic departments need to be funded differently.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 4, 2020

Is robust coronavirus testing enough to prevent college outbreaks?

Illinois' flagship was lauded for its testing strategy, but a recent spike in campus cases has officials blaming students.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 3, 2020

Will fall bring more campus closures as coronavirus cases climb?

Moving classes online temporarily can give administrators a chance to mitigate the virus's spread, experts note.

By Hallie Busta • Sept. 2, 2020

Grand Canyon Education announces MOU with Valparaiso U

The proposed partnership for online and hybrid healthcare and grad programs is part of the public company's shift from for-profit college operator to OPM.

By Hallie Busta • Sept. 1, 2020

Why taking the 'long-ball view' is critical for college leaders during the pandemic

The president of Jackson College, in Michigan, shares why the institution made an early call to stay online this fall. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Aug. 28, 2020

College journalists push back on campus reopenings

These students have been among the loudest voices calling out administrators for what they say are unsafe conditions.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 25, 2020

Colleges rebuke students as coronavirus outbreaks hit campus

Administrators are reacting more aggressively following reports of students partying and ignoring health guidance.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 21, 2020

Why UNC's plan to reopen its flagship campus unraveled so fast

Partisan governance is complicating the system's ability to respond to the pandemic, faculty and outside observers say.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 19, 2020

Admissions group asks colleges to rethink role of SAT, ACT

The global health crisis has exacerbated long-standing inequities in standardized tests, a NACAC report explains.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 18, 2020

UNC-Chapel Hill's move to online classes is the 'canary in the coal mine'

Higher education and health experts agree other colleges will likely have to end in-person instruction this fall, especially if they don't have robust virus testing.

By Natalie Schwartz • Aug. 18, 2020

Scrapping fall sports doesn't end health risks for teams, experts say

Decisions to suspend competitions, like those coming from the Big Ten and Pac-12 this week, won't halt all athletic activity on campuses.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 13, 2020

Higher ed group offers ideas for supporting contingent faculty

As tenured and nontenured faculty positions are cut, calls for greater shared governance grow.

By Hallie Busta • Aug. 12, 2020

Colleges look to apps that screen for virus symptoms and trace contacts

But privacy concerns are causing some schools to reconsider their options for tracking and preventing the spread of the coronavirus on campus.

By Natalie Schwartz • Aug. 12, 2020

Colleges begin releasing coronavirus test results ahead of fall

Institutions should be transparent about such data and explain how it's being used to make decisions, higher ed experts say.

By Natalie Schwartz • Aug. 11, 2020

California's reopening guidance bars indoor college lectures in dozens of counties

Health officials released instructions to help colleges prepare to resume in-person classes, but their requirements prevent some from doing so.

By Natalie Schwartz • Aug. 10, 2020

U of Alaska scraps plans to merge 2 campuses

The system will still have to take drastic measures to make up for steep budget cuts mandated by the state and exacerbated by the pandemic.

By Natalie Schwartz • Aug. 7, 2020

Sex, masks and parties: Can colleges actually change student behavior?

Reopening plans relied heavily on expectations students would follow rules that limit the scope of campus life. But their schools had a role to play.

By Hallie Busta, Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 7, 2020

Colleges say they'll follow public health advice. What if they don't?

UNC-Chapel Hill's decision not to comply with local officials' recommendations shows the lengths institutions are going to reopen campuses.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 7, 2020

How college athletic departments are coping with the pandemic

Budget cuts and increased safety practices are shaping operations as the academic year begins, a new report shows.

By Hallie Busta • July 31, 2020

Analysis finds 6,300 coronavirus cases tied to US colleges

The New York Times found 11 universities have had 100 or more cases and at least 14 deaths related to the virus across the sector. 

By Natalie Schwartz • July 29, 2020