Enrollment Crisis Hits Rural Colleges After Dropping 20 Majors, Leaving Students with Limited Options
Program cuts at rural colleges disproportionately impact first-generation and low-income students.
By
Rural-serving colleges are scaling back majors and degree programs across the United States, leaving students with fewer pathways to higher education.
The cuts are a response to declining enrollment and financial pressures that are hitting colleges in rural areas harder than others. Students at Delta State University in Mississippi have seen their preferred majors disappear, forcing them to either change plans or leave college altogether.
As detailed by Signal Cleveland, many rural colleges have cut programs in the humanities, sciences, and arts to help close budget deficits.
Delta State, in particular, had cut 21 programs including digital media arts, history and music. St. Cloud State in Minnesota cut 42 majors. Higher education expert Andrew Koricich calls it a "ridiculous inequity" and is similar to asking rural students to accept fewer educational opportunities simply because of where they live.
The Impact of Cutting Majors
Beyond the impact on students, these losses have great cultural significance. Campus programs like music and the humanities tend to help students approach issues in new ways and build creativity. Without them, rural colleges may lose this ability to inspire students to improve their communities.
Regional public universities are hit the worst because they receive less state funding than flagship institutions. This is the case for Delta State University, which had faced an $11 million deficit by declining enrollment and tuition revenue. Similarly, flagship universities also cut back, but, of course, they come with more resources to use in navigating such challenges in West Virginia University.
Experts say that such financial stress is exploited by some institutions to implement cuts rapidly, treating universities as businesses rather than learning centers. Such cuts are most devastating to first-generation, low-income, and minority students who rely on these institutions for access to education.
As rural universities downsize, enrollment continues to fall, exacerbating the cycle. For example, Emporia State University in Kansas saw a 14% enrollment drop after cutting 40 programs, per Kansas Reflector. Fewer rural high school graduates are pursuing college, with enrollment rates declining to 55% in 2022, further compounding the crisis.
It is in the best interest of reversing this trend that rural students are accorded equal opportunities in accessing higher education and its associated opportunities. If nothing is done, rural communities will lose educational institutions that are their cultural and economic support structures.
