WSJ What’s News

How Colleges Are Tackling the Enrollment Crunch

October 4, 2026·14 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

American colleges and universities are in an admissions crunch. A looming demographic cliff means fewer 18-year-olds are applying, leaving schools scrambling to fill budget holes and chart a new path forward. WSJ education reporters Doug Belkin and Roshan Fernandez join host Alex Ossola to discuss why this is happening now and how three institutions are handling the problem. Further Reading:  America’s Colleges Are Hurtling Toward an Enrollment Cliff  America’s College Towns Go From Boom to Bust The Small Private Colleges Dying in a Winner-Take-All University Marketplace  Why Syracuse Can’t Attract the Students It Needs to Pay the Bills The New Students at This Liberal Arts College Are in Their 80s  Hampshire Students Navigate the Chaos of a College Shutting Down  In Demand: The Colleges Where Students Start Jobs Right Away  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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