Aging Population, Sticker Shock, Expected To Result in Lower College Enrollments

Milking students is no longer a guaranteed cash cow

The majority of states are expected to see some decline in the number of high school graduates during the next decade and those declines, coupled with an increasingly price-conscious student body, is already forcing some colleges to discount their tuition, according to two reports released last week.

The Midwest and Northeast are expected to be hit hardest by declining enrollment during the next decade, with the biggest projected declines anticipated in Michigan, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, according to a report by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. That would come after more than 20 years of steady growth in college enrollment across the country.