We’re tracking closings and consolidation and looking at what the trend means for higher ed.
The last two years have been tumultuous ones for the U.S. higher education industry.
Increased regulation and falling enrollment were among several factors contributing to the closure or consolidation of hundreds of colleges and universities around the country.
That consolidation also had an impact on the priorities of ones that remained open. Institutions are adding degree programs in emerging tech fields such as artificial intelligence, dropping low-enrollment programs including some in the liberal arts, and looking online where they can reach a bigger audience with niche subject matter.
The future of for-profits
Education Dive’s list includes more than 50 for-profit colleges that closed, were acquired or consolidated since 2016. Among them are chains such as Brown Mackie, ITT and DeVry that operated tens of campuses across the country, meaning the count of affected locations is much higher.