The higher education world is grappling with a challenge it’s seen coming for years: The so-called “demographic cliff.” That’s when the number of high school graduates, and therefore future college students, begins to decline. It’s projected to begin as soon as next year, and is thanks, in part, to the birth rate in the U.S, which has been falling for nearly two decades.
That looming cliff could add to other factors already putting many colleges and universities under increasing financial pressure: Students have access to more online degrees, young people are looking at job opportunities that don’t require college degrees, and the Trump administration’s immigration policies are keeping international students away.
One way some schools are coping is by closing smaller satellite campuses, often far from a school’s central location. The hope? That a smaller physical footprint can help save some cash and allow schools to better focus their resources…