College Mergers: Colleges Continuous Fall

The state of colleges in the U.S can be described perfectly in one word. Falling. The enrollment rates are falling, the value of a degree is falling, those that want to attend a typical college are disappearing, and colleges themselves are closing at rising rates. 

This sets an unfortunately grim landscape for colleges. Although it’s important to recognize they still represent one of the strongest forces for social movement, do meaningful research, and are a heavy net positive on all of society. Education is the backbone of a modern society, and that only makes the current fate of colleges sadder.

From 2013 to 2019, 19% less people consider a U.S college degree important. COVID and the pandemic that followed saw the enrollment rate drop by 9.4% and today in 2022 colleges have seen a 4.7% enrollment drop. These statistics don’t apply equally to all schools, but they are a strong representation of the nation's current thoughts on colleges.

In response many colleges have had to look at options to get themselves back on their feet. While the U.S government provided funding for many during the pandemic, that support has now diminished. Many colleges have now closed in response, without students and without a monetary income, there’s nothing they can do. 

Fortunately, it’s not all bad news, even for those colleges that are approaching economic destruction. Many colleges have instead considered the option of merging. This offers a much more natural process to the students of the merging college. Instead of losing lots of files, information, and faculty, a merged college can more easily transfer those resources and preserve at least some of their work. 

Unfortunately, this is no perfect option. Really there is no perfect option for the colleges that are seeing struggles to the point of closure. The fate of U.S. colleges is yet to be determined in the modern day, but the path they’re set on is one characterized by one word, falling.