In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed podcast, Drumm McNaughton engages in conversation with the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Mike Petrilli, whose recent article presents a strong argument for optimism despite fewer students enrolling in traditional colleges and universities.
The downward enrollment trend has induced panic among many in the higher education industry, but Petrilli offers data-based evidence suggesting the trend is neither surprising nor a cause for despair. The Upside of the Downward Trend in College Enrollment is a thorough and encouraging analysis of the factors behind this decline, the implications for students and institutions, and the necessary changes higher education institutions must make to improve students’ odds of success.