A college degree is a massive investment, but over a dozen universities in New York State made the list of the worst in America. Three are from in Central New York.
Since March of 2020, three dozen colleges across the United States have shuttered their doors, according to insidehighered.com. Now, signs are pointing to possible troubles for a small college in the Adirondacks.
When a college shutters its doors, the impact is felt well beyond the students, faculty, staff and alumni. Small surrounding towns and villages are often devastated, as the life blood of their local economy shuts its doors. Throughout the United States small liberal arts colleges are struggling to stay alive. One upstate New York village is trying to get ahead of a potential problem from their college closing.
The one-time thriving higher education industry in the United States is in decline. According to the publication Inside Higher Ed, colleges across the nation are closing on an annual basis. Eighteen four-year universities shut their doors from 2019-20 to 2020-21. The number of community colleges dropped by 26 over that same period. A common issue is financial instability, the same problem that is shutting down a prestigious liberal arts college in upstate New York.