Higher education likes to think of itself as unique. In many ways, it is. But the financial pressures facing colleges and universities are not entirely new. Other industries have already dealt with shrinking markets. Their experiences offer some useful lessons for higher education. The latest CBO survey confirms what many leaders are seeing: 46 percent […]
financial sustainability
The Top 10 Warning Signs of College Closure
Recently, a board member at one of our client institutions reached out to ask, “What are the biggest warning signs that a college is at risk of closure?” Not every warning sign carries equal weight. Three indicators tell you whether an institution is in immediate financial danger. Two more point to structural problems that often […]
The Confidence Paradox: Why 2026’s Optimism Masks a Structural Crisis
There’s a strange disconnect in the latest Inside Higher Ed survey of chief business officers. Eighty-three percent of institutions expect to be financially stable over the next five years, up from 73 percent last year. Most CBOs describe their institution’s financial health “good” or “excellent.” As I told Inside Higher Ed for their coverage of […]
Innovation That Pays: Aligning Price, Outcomes, and Financial Strategy in Higher Education
Incremental change keeps institutions stable. Disruptive change keeps them alive.
How Do You Define Financial Sustainability?
Before you can budget for survival, you have to define what survival looks like.
Operating vs. Non-Operating: The Silent Killer
The difference between breaking even and running a deficit may come down to how you’re classifying revenue.
What drives our cost structure in higher education?
With fewer families choosing college today, it may be time to rethink and revamp our cost structure to increase the value of higher ed.
My family’s view of the value of higher education
I know the value of education from my personal experience, but the outcomes have not kept pace with the price and demand is declining.