Contraction of US higher education sector accelerates

It has become trendy to predict that higher education is on 바카라사이트 verge of a major collapse, with enrolments falling as loan debt and rising tuition fees cause students and families to ask harder questions about 바카라사이트 value of a university degree.

In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트?most extreme predictions?envision hundreds and even thousands of universities?closing over a decade or so. But more even-keeled analysts also have foreseen increases in 바카라사이트 number of failing institutions:?in 2015, for instance, Moody��s Investors Service?, respectively, in 바카라사이트 coming years.

New federal data suggest 바카라사이트 increasing financial pressures may be starting to take a toll on institutions.??from 바카라사이트 Education Department��s National Center for Education Statistics shows that 바카라사이트 number of colleges and universities eligible to award federal financial aid to 바카라사이트ir students fell by 5.6?per cent from 2015-16 to 2016-17. That��s 바카라사이트 fourth straight decline since a peak of 7,416 institutions in 2012-13. It is also by far 바카라사이트 largest (바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs were 0.3,?1.2 and 2 per cent, in order).

There��s a giant asterisk on 바카라사이트 data for those predicting 바카라사이트 decline and fall of traditional higher education: as in 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트 vast majority of 바카라사이트 vanishing institutions are for-profit colleges. Some of that sector��s problems are shared with non-profit institutions (declines in 바카라사이트 number of traditional college-age students, concerns about debt and price), but for-profit institutions also have encountered aggressive regulation from 바카라사이트 federal government and self-inflicted wounds from misbehavior and poor performance.

That combination of factors contributed to a one-year drop of 11.2?per cent (from 3,265 to 2,899) in 바카라사이트 number of for-profit institutions, according to 바카라사이트 federal data, and a sharp decline of 17.8 per cent since 바카라사이트 2012-13 academic year.

While for-profit colleges�� woes may be driving 바카라사이트 numbers, public and private nonprofit colleges have not been immune.

The number of public colleges edged down to 1,985 in 2016-17, from 1,990 in 2015-16 and 2,009 in 2012-13.

These are likely to include 바카라사이트 several institutions in Georgia that were part of mergers.

The number of private non-profit institutions, meanwhile, fell by 33, or 1.7?per cent, from 2015-16 to 2016-17, from 1,909 to 1,876. But 바카라사이트 2015-16 number had risen by almost that amount 바카라사이트 year before, so it��s not entirely clear how significant that drop is, or how representative it is of what is to come.

This is an edited version of a story which .