Some institutions are having record years, but many others are starting the year with 10 or 20 percent of students not there. And some have lost more.
For private colleges, this year has been among the most difficult ever in admissions. For those that aren’t nationally known (we’re leaving out the Ivies, Stanford University and similar institutions), admissions is always a challenge. In most states, public universities dominate press attention. For many, they define higher education, with their large size, big-time athletics and more. This year has been no exception. Think about how many stories you saw (including on this site) about the University of North Carolina’s reversal of its decision to open its Chapel Hill campus. While the big-time sports conferences do have private university members, most are public.
What about smaller private colleges?
A scan of private colleges suggests that they are welcoming some or all students to campuses, and they are hopeful that they will be able to avoid the embarrassing incidents (parties without social distancing or face masks) that have taken place at so many larger, public institutions.