As colleges and universities across the country face declining enrollment, budget cuts, program eliminations, and growing financial strain, families are beginning to ask an important question during the college admissions process: How financially stable is the university my student is applying to? In this article, Kara McMahon of Admissions by Design explores the growing financial challenges facing higher education, including recent headlines involving Syracuse University and Clemson University, and explains what these changes could mean for students, families, academic programs, and the future of college admissions.

May 4, 2026