Colleges Respond to Enrollment Cliff
Excerpt from the Concord Monitor article published on May 15, 2021
“Another barometer of financial stress is Forbes’ “College Financial Health Grades.” As of 2019, 177 colleges earned a D grade, a 61% increase from 2013. Only 34 earned an A+. With the exception of Dartmouth College and Southern NH University, NH’s private nonprofit schools earned a grade of C or worse, according to Forbes.
“These grim measurements are not necessarily a forecast of doom because they conflict with other estimates. For example, Forbes’ D-graded Franklin Pierce University receives high marks in post-COVID fiscal fitness and resiliency from Edmit, a national educational advising company aimed at consumers. Its co-founder Nick Ducoff says Franklin Pierce sustained a multi-million dollar operating surplus and increased its endowment in recent years.
“Edmit gives high marks to St. Anselm and New England College.
“Colleges will suffer the battle scars of COVID-19 for years to come. But Scire points out the pandemic also spurs academics to experiment with programs and technology to keep students engaged and ultimately improve retention and graduation rates.”
