US Colleges Face a Shrinking Student Pipeline

US colleges face a prolonged demographic squeeze as high school graduates, after peaking in 2025, are projected to decline 13% through 2041, pressuring regional schools with limited endowments. Carleton College Professor Nathan Grawe said institutions are cutting programs, competing harder for students, and emphasizing affordability, while inflation-adjusted tuition at public four-year colleges has fallen 7% over the past decade.