Rising College Problem: They're Closing at a Rapid Rate

In a story about the current state of colleges and universities in the US, the Wall Street Journal cites a stat that might worry current and prospective students:

• More than 500 private, nonprofit four-year schools have closed in the last 10 years, triple the number from the previous decade. The numbers are from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.
• An estimated 1.25 million students were affected, with the story noting that the numbers don't include closures at for-profit schools.

In broad strokes, fewer students are heading to college today than a decade ago, with rising costs seen as a huge factor. The pandemic only accelerated the trend. A post at BestColleges.com reports than at least 62 public or nonprofit colleges have closed since March 2020, and it has a list of notable ones. The Journal notes that the trend is not expected to reverse anytime soon, with small liberal-arts schools at most risk. The full story focuses on the real-life experiences of students caught up in the closures.