Beginning next year, a decline in the number of 18-year-old Americans is projected to take another big toll on undergraduate enrollment. Basic math suggests that it will eventually hit graduate programs, too.
Grad students have been a cash cow; now universities fret over graduate enrollment (msn.com)
The Master degree became a cash cow for colleges and universities. But now, with the world seeing that almost have of Master degrees have a negative Return on Investment, they too are about to start shrinking.
As this blog has long pointed out, the decline in the new incoming cohort due to the long run low fertility rate is hitting undergraduate enrollments. Graduate enrollments are about to hit a double whammy – fewer young people AND fewer people seeking graduate degrees as the ROI becomes worse. The universities have no plans to address this – indeed, as another future post will note, the University of Memphis, whose enrollment is down sharply is going to raise tuition. If your product is not selling, surely the way to increase sales is to raise the price?
