Colleges Are Cutting Thousands of Jobs!

Adriana Stone 0 1 min read

Colleges Cutting Thousands — Here’s Why

Universities across the country are trimming staff. A lot of them.

Inside Higher Education reports more than 9,000 positions were cut through layoffs and buyouts in 2025. The figure likely undershoots reality. Schools don’t always report every move.

There are a few forces at work. Rising operating costs. Falling enrollments. Heavy administrative growth for decades. And new federal rules affecting research and international students.

The report cited several specific causes, writing: “undoubtedly an undercount due to unreported personnel actions.” It also said: “While many of December’s job cuts were not attributable to Trump, others seemed directly connected, including the loss of hundreds of international students at DePaul University, which undercut tuition revenues, prompting layoffs,”

DePaul cut 114 staff jobs last month. University of Nebraska–Lincoln planned 51 cuts. Western Wyoming Community College eliminated 33 roles and reorganized 30. The University of Kansas offered buyouts that nearly three dozen faculty accepted.

Here’s the blunt truth. Higher education got fat. Administrators multiplied. Fancy titles popped up. Tuition rose as payroll swelled. Students pulled back. The math didn’t add up anymore.

Some will blame policy changes. Others will blame the messenger. Either way, colleges face a market correction. That means hard choices. And yes, some of those choices are overdue.

This isn’t just about budgets. Many critics argue it’s about mission. They say too many campuses act like political factories. They push ideology more than practical skills. That critique has fuel now that enrollment and revenue are down.

Expect more cuts and more rethinking. Schools will need to justify every program and position. Some will slim down. Others will change focus. Students and families want value. Taxpayers want accountability.

Whether you cheer the cuts or worry about lost positions, one fact is clear: the system is changing. Colleges will have to prove their worth or keep shrinking.

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