Concerns Over University Closures in the U.S.

A university president has expressed concerns that nearly a quarter of U.S. universities might shut down in the next few years. Arthur Levine, who is the president of Brandeis University in Massachusetts, shared this alarming prediction during a recent discussion.

Levine, speaking at the American Enterprise Institute, noted that he believes between 20% and 25% of American universities are at risk. “Higher education is undergoing a transformation,” he explained, highlighting broader shifts in society. He pointed out that we’re transitioning from a national analog industrial economy to a global digital knowledge economy.

“Our entire society is undergoing a transformation,” Levine added. He went on to mention various changes impacting higher education, including demographic, economic, technological, and political shifts. It seems likely that many institutions will struggle to adapt, leading to closures.

He mentioned that community colleges and regional universities might largely move to online formats, while more affluent universities could buy themselves time against these pressures. “Traditional higher education, with its research universities and residential colleges, is where we’ll see significant change,” Levine said. He compared the current situation to past transformations, particularly during the Industrial Revolution.

Addressing some of the urgent challenges universities face, Levine pointed to cost issues, resistance to change, and the slow pace of adaptation. He remarked, “If something is very, very expensive, it should be worth what you pay for it. There should be an outcome worth the price you pay.” He recalled that this isn’t the first transformation of its kind; institutions often struggle to keep pace with societal changes, some more successfully than others.