In this episode, I reflect on the end of the 2022-23 school year by revisiting projections from research published in the mid-2010s about an impending college enrollment cliff. The projected freefall in college enrollment was expected around the mid-2020s onward.

Obviously a lot has happened over the last 7 or 8 years, which has significantly affected all aspects of U.S. society including the state of its colleges and universities. I briefly explore the actual and projected enrollment data, and speculate on what might be the catalyst for this potential crisis.


Sources

Jenny Anderson. (2023, April 3). How America Started to Fall Out of Love with College Degrees. Time.
https://time.com/6265266/america-college-degrees-essay/

Nathan D. Grawe. (2016). Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education.
https://ngrawe.sites.carleton.edu/demographics-and-the-demand-for-higher-education/2/

Missy Kline. (Fall 2019). The Looming Higher Ed Enrollment Cliff. CUPA-HR.
https://www.cupahr.org/issue/feature/higher-ed-enrollment-cliff/ 

Jon Marcus. (2023, April 18). In Japan, Plummeting Enrollment Forecasts What's Ahead for the U.S. Hechinger Report.
https://hechingerreport.org/in-japan-plummeting-university-enrollment-forecasts-whats-ahead-for-the-u-s/

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2023, May 24). Current Term Enrollment Estimates.
https://nscresearchcenter.org/current-term-enrollment-estimates/

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