Last year, colleges closed at a rate of nearly one per week—double the pace of 2023. Many of these shuttered institutions were small, rural colleges, and their closures didn’t just impact students and faculty. They left entire towns reeling. Rural colleges are more than just places of learning. They serve as major employers, anchor small businesses that rely on student spending, and act as cultural and civic hubs. When they vanish, they leave a void that threatens the economic and social fabric of their communities.
The instinctive response to this crisis has been to focus on saving the institutions themselves. But what if the key to sustaining rural colleges isn’t about preserving them in their current form but about strengthening the communities around them? What if these colleges reimagined themselves not just as economic anchors, but as engines of economic growth and development—becoming essential partners on both the supply and demand sides of the labor market?
By creating stronger pipelines of local talent for businesses in need, colleges can enhance their relevance, attract more learners, and strengthen their communities. Building stronger and mutually beneficial “town-gown” relationships can ensure that both institutions and local economies flourish, reinforcing each other’s success.
For decades, rural towns have experienced a persistent brain drain, as college graduates leave in search of opportunities elsewhere. Between 1970 and 2016, for instance, the college attainment gap between urban and rural America grew from 5 percentage points to 14 percentage points. In the years since, this trend has largely continued, particularly in states across the country’s heartland and West. States like Wyoming, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are all seeing their rural communities lose college-educated workers at an alarming rate.
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The closure of so many smaller, rural colleges only exacerbates the challenge. Among those that remain, many do an excellent job preparing students for the workforce. But too often those jobs are concentrated in urban centers, pulling talent away from the towns that need it most. To break this cycle, rural colleges will need to shift their focus toward regional workforce development, creating local career pathways that encourage graduates to stay.
Some institutions have already proven that this model works—and that it can be transformative. Consider the case of Walla Walla Community College in Washington State. In the late 1990s, college leaders recognized there was a small but growing wine industry taking root in the rural areas they served. In response, the institution partnered with city and county officials and two major local employers to open the Center for Enology and Viticulture and provide students with hands-on training in grape growing and winemaking. A decade later, the number of wineries in Walla Walla had increased from 17 to more than 170, and the town had become a tourist destination.
As other rural institutions now struggle to stay open, enrollment at Walla Walla Community College continues to surge.
Of course, not every investment needs to be so dramatic. Even smaller-scale initiatives can create meaningful change. Colleges can integrate work-based learning into their curricula, allowing students to tackle real-world business challenges for local employers through apprenticeships, co-op programs, or project-based coursework tied to industry needs. For example, the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) has launched an initiative helping 25 of its member institutions integrate work-based learning into their curricula, enabling students to tackle real-world business challenges for local employers through project-based coursework. The projects span industries such as IT, data analysis, community health, and criminal justice.
This approach not only provides employers with a pipeline of skilled graduates but also helps students develop valuable skills, real work experience, and professional connections that will help fuel their careers. The result is a win-win-win: students develop in-demand skills, businesses gain access to much-needed talent, and colleges bolster their relevance and, ultimately, enrollment.
For rural colleges, the path forward is about more than keeping the doors open—it’s about rethinking an institution’s role in the community. By building talent pipelines that meet the needs of regional employers, these institutions can help attract new businesses, spur economic activity, and create opportunities that encourage graduates to stay. The most successful rural colleges aren’t preparing students for jobs elsewhere—they’re strengthening local economies through work-based learning, deeper partnerships with businesses, and real-world experiences that benefit both students and their hometowns. The future of rural colleges is intertwined with the future of their communities. Strengthen that relationship and both will thrive.
