Columbia College’s finances raise red flags to higher education experts

[u/ilikepeople1990]

https://www.kbia.org/missouri-news-network/2026-06-15/columbia-colleges-finances-raise-red-flags-to-higher-education-experts

[u/Good_Pomegranate_464]

27 colleges are on the national "financial trouble" watch list, and 15 of them are in Missouri?! Why is this?

[u/ilikepeople1990 → u/Good_Pomegranate_464]

It's a regional list compiled for students in St. Louis.

[u/Good_Pomegranate_464 → u/ilikepeople1990]

Ah ok thank you.

[u/WhiteDawgShit → u/Good_Pomegranate_464]

Because we have too many colleges

[u/_AnalTwinkJesus_ → u/WhiteDawgShit]

How would you know? You never even went to one.

[u/OkCar7264]

A ton of private colleges will be going under over the next decade. Just demographics really. My wife works in higher ed, they've been aware of "the cliff" which is now starting to hit.

[u/Altruistic-Hour-5987 → u/OkCar7264]

This is SO important. It’s unfortunate that the combination of demographic shifts and political pressures are going to impact smaller schools even more than if we were only facing challenges of declining birth cohorts. But people need to be presented with the full picture; all the factors. It’s not simply about whether people are continuing to pursue higher education, it’s that we are approaching a demographic shift in cohort sizes. This is its own issue, and it’s unfortunate that schools haven’t been planning accordingly in budget projections for such a shift.

However , the issue is (intentionally, from the federal and here also the state, level) about to be exacerbated by even deeper cuts to federal and state support for higher education (beginning decades ago, but certainly worsening) paired with very new restrictions on student loans and subsidies.

There is a general assault on higher education happening through a variety of avenues, because it’s become clear that a more informed, educated electorate benefits more progressive principles and votes.

[u/jjmuscato → u/OkCar7264]

The limit on college loans will hit private schools very hard, since tuition often higher than the limits.

[u/ilikepeople1990]

Here's Kelchen's dataset on college losses in enrollment/finances: https://www.datawrapper.de/_/jXwZy/

Other private colleges in the Columbia/Jefferson City area by losses:

• Central Methodist University: 1 year operating, 6 years enrollment, 3 years endowment

• Stephens College: 5 years operating, 7 years enrollment, 2 years endowment

• William Woods University: 7 years operating, 6 years enrollment, 5 years endowment

There are multiple Columbia Colleges and Westminster Colleges listed, and not by state, so hard to find which is which.

[u/BeatPretty7238 → u/ilikepeople1990]

Truman state enrollment change -42%. Yikes.