2026 will favor community colleges that reinvent themselves to ensure institutional resilience, market relevance and programmatic alignment with workforce and community needs.
Universities in conservative states are restricting teaching on gender and race, sparking concerns over academic freedom. Critics say policies like Texas Tech's echo Florida's blocked Stop WOKE Act, chilling faculty speech.
University Business looks back on five of the most popular stories this year covering Trump's higher education agenda and the Department of Education's dissolution.
Alabama is one of only three states that bars undocumented students from public colleges, shutting many out of higher education. Advocates warn the state's immigration restrictions are deepening fear and narrowing opportunities for thousands of teens.
Northwestern University has agreed to pay $75 million to restore $750 million in federal funding that was suspended over government allegations of "unlawful discrimination."
International enrollment in the U.S. continues its downward trend due in part to federal policy, while universities across Asia, the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe slowly begin to attract more students.
Many institutions collect their most sensitive student information through generic web forms that cannot prove compliance, enforce proper access controls or maintain adequate audit trails.
Despite visa restrictions and funding cuts, U.S. universities saw only slight declines in foreign student visas this year. The drop in arrivals likely reflects fewer students traveling abroad, not reduced enrollment.
