Between 2016 and 2020, 139 colleges closed down or were merged with others schools. The pandemic started in 86 schools. The pandemic didn’t start the decline in college enrollmentHowever, it was able to speed up the process. In the near future, universities will likely close more as tuition costs increase and student numbers drop in America.
Although almost all colleges are affected by adverse environments, there are some that have more severe problems than others. The number of community colleges has fallen 15% between 2019 and 2021. The most vulnerable schools in the future will be those with fewer students than 5,000. High-stakes schools such as the Ivy League are returning to their pre-pandemic levels of enrollment. While endowment funds are a way for institutions to manage fluctuating tuition revenues, taking over 5% of the fund per year could expose it to financial risk. There are only 106 colleges with endowments exceeding $1 billion in the US.
How can you tell if a university is closing? It isn’t always obvious. It can sometimes be difficult to see. Preparation and investigation are important.
