College Presidents Worry Their Schools Won’t Survive

Facing shrinking budgets and, in some cases, flagging enrollment, a growing number of college presidents are concerned about the future of their institutions, according to a new Inside Higher Ed report based on Gallup data.

Only 39 percent of college presidents surveyed for the report felt confident their institution’s financial model would be sustainable for the next decade, down from 50 percent a year earlier. They were more positive about shorter-term survival: Fifty-six percent predicted they’d be OK for five years. That’s still well below the 62 percent who felt that way in 2014. To gauge the officials’ sentiment, Gallup polled presidents of 338 public institutions and 262 private nonprofits in the U.S. in January and February.