The numbers are nothing short of startling. Over the past decade, over 500 private, nonprofit colleges have shuttered their doors. This year alone, it’s been estimated that roughly one college either shuts down or merges with another, every week… And hundreds more are flashing financial warning signs.[1][2][3] Fact: Over the past 13 years, undergrad enrollments...Read More

Make no bones about it, last year’s FAFSA debacle caused widespread havoc and panic among students, families and institutions of higher education. In January, CNBC said, “Rocky FAFSA Rollout Leaves Millions of Students, Families Frustrated” … [1] In February, the Los Angels Times said of it, “This is Just the Biggest Fiasco” …[2] And in...Read More

With the higher education landscape drastically shifting and enrolling new students becoming more difficult than perhaps ever before, institutions of higher education should be aware of the following statistics. 691 million. The number of Google search results for the various versions of “Online degree in ai.” 61.8%: The portion of recent high school grads that...Read More

691 million. That’s the number of Google search results for the various versions of “online degree in ai.” 691 million! Considering the first bachelor’s degree program in AI was launched just six years ago at Carnegie Mellon, this is an astounding level of interest. It’s especially astounding considering the “online” aspect of the Google search...Read More

For over a decade, graduate degree programs have been a cash cow for colleges and universities. Between 2010 and 2021, overall enrollments in graduate school programs grew by a robust 9%; this, as undergrad enrollment plummeted 15%.[1] But even though graduate program enrollments have been quite strong, and have been a godsend for struggling institutions,...Read More

The numbers don’t lie. The US population has grown by nearly 20 million people over the past decade. Yet even as our population grows, the percentage of high school seniors who enroll in college is at a ten year low.[1] Last year, just 61.8% of recent high school grads enrolled in college, compared to 66%...Read More

In 1992, political strategist James Carville famously quipped, “it’s the economy, stupid,” to prove a political point that Americans are more concerned about their wallets than just about any other issue. And he was right. At the time, our economy was just emerging from recession, leaving many households struggling to pay bills as unemployment reached...Read More

Only about 7% of US colleges are considered “primarily online” institutions. Yet, 42% of college students over the age of 30 are pursuing a fully online education. This means there is huge opportunity for primarily online colleges to grow; if they offer the programs that students are really looking for. Historical data from the National...Read More

Research from EY Pantheon shows that nearly 10% of all four-year colleges and universities are in serious financial peril.[1] Further, the Hechinger Report says that, already this year, one college or university per week says it will either close or merge.[2] This, up from two per month last year; a doubling. Clearly, higher education is...Read More

Back in April, we, Conversion Media Group published an eye-opening article titled “Data Show Big Opportunities for Fully Online Colleges” (available HERE). In that article, we highlighted how some online colleges may be faring quite well right now (and potentially into the future), despite the fact that we are expecting a large decline in America’s...Read More