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Most Americans would probably rather forget the Great Recession that began in 2007. But as long ago as it may seem, it triggered something that is about to become a big problem: Americans started having fewer babies, and the birth rate hasn’t recovered since. That means a looming decline in the number of 18-year-olds. Since those are the traditional customers for universities and colleges, enrollment is projected to fall dramatically and campuses to close. In this episode, we tell you the surprising benefits of this for students and their parents — and the scary prospects for the economy, which will suffer shortages of workers just as baby boomers retire. Come with us to a college fair where recruiters line up to compete for applicants, and hear from enrollment consultants, economists, and the president of a school that has already closed. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts and Producers: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Editor: Jonathan A. Davis  Fact -checker: Ryan Alderman Executive Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Artwork: Matt Welch  Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.

The anxiety-inducing college admissions game is changing – what if colleges started applying to you instead of the other way around? With declining birth rates and growing skepticism about the value of a degree, higher education is facing an enrollment cliff, set to hit hard in 2026. That’s 18 years after the Great Recession when many American families stopped having babies. As competition for students intensifies, more states desperate for workforce talent and schools dependent on tuition dollars are turning to direct admissions – a system where students receive college acceptance offers and scholarships before they even apply. In this episode, hosts Kirk Carapezza and Jon Marcus break down how we got to this point where the college admission process requires students to spend a ton of time and money with no guarantee of success. And they ask whether direct admissions is the solution colleges and students need – or just a Band-Aid on a bigger enrollment crisis.  “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts and Producers: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Editor: Jonathan A. Davis  Fact -checker: Ryan Alderman Executive Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Artwork: Matt Welch  Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.

Something has been happening on college campuses that’s as surprising as it is dramatic: The number of women enrolled has overtaken the number of men. Women now outnumber men by about 60 percent to 40 percent, and that gap keeps getting wider. And men who do enroll are also more likely to drop out. There are a lot of reasons for this. Boys get lower grades than girls, on average, in elementary and middle schools. They’re more likely to be held back or face disciplinary actions. They’re less likely to graduate from high school. And more men than women go into the skilled trades, instead of getting college degrees. Among the results: Universities and colleges now tip the scales for men in admission to try to keep the genders even. But as things keep falling out of balance, there are impacts on the financial success for men and on economic growth for everybody. We’ll hear from men and women students about what that’s like right now, and from colleges about what they’re trying to do about it. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts and Producers: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Editor: Jonathan A. Davis  Fact -checker: Ryan Alderman Executive Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Artwork: Matt Welch  Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.

American higher education is approaching a sharp drop in college-aged students — a trend known as the demographic cliff. At the same time, following decades of declining enrollment, humanities programs are being forced to adapt or risk disappearing altogether. In this episode of College Uncovered, hosts Kirk Carapezza and Jon Marcus explore how some colleges are rebranding liberal arts as “applied humanities” or “leadership studies” to better connect with career paths and market demand. With humanities majors down significantly over the past two decades, schools are searching for new ways to make these degrees more relevant — and more appealing. We travel to Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where enrollment in the College of Liberal Arts has jumped 80 percent over the past five years, thanks to a fresh focus on technology, leadership and career readiness. We hear from Richard Utz, interim dean at Georgia Tech, and Joy Connolly, president of the American Council of Learned Societies, who argue that humanities graduates bring some of the most in-demand skills to the workforce: communication, critical thinking, collaboration and the ability to navigate ambiguity. Listen to learn how the liberal arts are evolving — and why their survival may be essential to the future of higher education and the workforce. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts and Producers: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Editor: Jonathan A. Davis  Fact -checker: Ryan Alderman Executive Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Artwork: Matt Welch  Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.

U.S. colleges have long relied on international students – and the big tuition checks they bring – to hit enrollment goals and keep the lights on. But now, just as the number of American college-aged students starts to fall – a trend known as the “demographic cliff”– global tensions are making international students think twice about coming to the U.S. for college. In this episode, hosts Kirk Carapezza and Jon Marcus take you inside the world of international admissions. With student visa revocations on the rise – often without explanation – and a growing number of detentions tied to student activism, some international families say they are rethinking their U.S. college plans. And that has college leaders sounding the alarm. As the Trump administration ramps up immigration crackdowns on campuses across the country, many worry the U.S. could lose its status as the top destination for global talent. So what happens if international enrollment drops just as domestic numbers dry up? The stakes are high – not just for students and colleges but for the entire U.S. economy. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts and Producers: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Editor: Jonathan A. Davis  Fact -checker: Ryan Alderman Executive Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Artwork: Matt Welch  Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.

The single fastest-growing group of students in college? This may come as a surprise — they’re still in high school. So-called “dual enrollment” — also known as “early college” and “concurrent enrollment” — seems a win-win.  Institutions get students, at a time when demographic shifts are making that more difficult; that’s especially true at community colleges, whose enrollment has declined the most.  Meanwhile, high school students rack up credits, potentially saving time and money. Some finish their associate degrees at the same time that they get their diplomas. And studies show that they’re more likely to go on to and graduate from college than their classmates who don’t. The Department of Education didn’t even track how many students were taking dual-enrollment courses until last year. It turned out that two and a half million of them are. Studies show they’re more likely to go to and graduate from college than their classmates who don’t. High school students now make up a fifth of community college enrollment. At 37 community colleges nationwide, more than half of students are still in high school. But like much in higher education, there are traps and pitfalls. Not all of those credits transfer, for example.  In this episode, we provide a road map to navigating dual enrollment. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts and Producers: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Editor: Jonathan A. Davis  Fact -checker: Ryan Alderman Executive Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Artwork: Matt Welch  Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.

Here’s a milestone you might not have heard about: It’s projected that this year, for the first time, more college students will take all of their courses online than will take all of their courses in person. Online higher education has come a long way since its predecessor, the correspondence school. The universal shift to remote learning during the pandemic only accelerated that momentum. It has also allowed more comprehensive research into whether online teaching works as well as the in-person kind. But even as more students go online to learn, there are many caveats about this fast-growing innovation. We talk to the experts about who should take online courses, where they should take them and in what subjects. We also lay out questions to ask of online providers, such as what kinds of real-world supports — faculty office hours, tutors — are available. Finally we solve a mystery that frustrates countless consumers: how in the world it’s possible that most online courses cost as much as, or more than, the brick-and-mortar kind. After all, technology has lowered prices in almost every industry. Come with us as we expose the reason higher education can find a way to charge more for yet another product that by all rights should cost less. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts and Producers: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Editor: Jonathan A. Davis  Fact -checker: Ryan Alderman Executive Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Artwork: Matt Welch  Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.

Is the four-year college degree losing its grip on the American Dream?  Just as American colleges reach the demographic cliff in 2026, higher education in the U.S. is facing mounting pressure from all sides. President Donald Trump has targeted several highly-selective, wealthy universities, slashing federal research funding and questioning their tax-exempt status – painting them as overpriced and out-of-touch bastions of liberalism. But skepticism about college isn’t just coming from the right. On the campaign trail, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris called out the country’s narrow focus on four-year degrees, urging more support for apprenticeships and technical programs.  And the public seems to agree. A growing number of Americans – nearly a third – now say they have little or no confidence in college. That’s up 10 percent from a decade ago. Employers and states desperate for talent are dropping degree requirements for certain entry-level positions.  So where does that leave students and families? And how are colleges, especially those struggling to fill seats, adapting?  In this episode of College Uncovered, co-hosts Kirk Carapezza and Jon Marcus dig into the rise of alternative pathways. They explain why there aren’t more apprenticeship and internship opportunities and explore what happens when the college degree is no longer the default. Whether you’re a student, parent, or just interested in the future of higher education, this episode helps explain what comes next. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts and Producers: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Editor: Jonathan A. Davis  Fact -checker: Ryan Alderman Executive Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Artwork: Matt Welch  Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.

Harvard just did something it hasn’t done in decades — it fired a tenured professor. Francesca Gino built her reputation studying honesty. Then she was accused of faking data. In May, Harvard’s top governing board revoked her tenure and ousted her from the Business School. But why is stripping tenure so rare — not just at Harvard, but anywhere? How common is research fraud? And why are colleges so secretive when it happens? College Uncovered’s Kirk Carapezza and reporter Mark Herz unpack the Gino case. Then Kirk sits down with science journalist and attorney Eugenie Reich, author of Plastic Fantastic: How the Biggest Fraud in Physics Shook the Scientific World. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News 

The government rescinded billions in federal research grants during Trump’s first few months in office — cutting fellowships, scholarships, and postdoc programs that support the next generation of scientists. A federal judge recently ordered the restoration of some National Institutes of Health grants. A battle over National Science Foundation funding is still playing out in court. So what do these cuts actually mean for higher education and scientific discovery? And if the United States gives up its global lead in innovation and research, what does that mean for the rest of us? In this episode of College Uncovered, host Kirk Carapezza and reporter Craig LeMoult visit one public university hit especially hard — and explore what’s really at stake for American science. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News

Across the country, public universities are being flooded with requests for syllabi, reading lists, course materials, and data on international students. One company is behind many of those requests - Metric Media. Part of a growing network of conservative-led groups, Metric Media says it’s enforcing civil rights laws and holding taxpayer-funded institutions accountable. But critics see something very different: a coordinated pressure campaign emboldened by the second Trump administration that threatens academic freedom and seeks to intimidate scholars. Now some universities are pushing back. In this bonus episode of College Uncovered, GBH’s Kirk Carapezza talks with Brian Timpone, CEO and founder of Metric Media. In a rare interview, Timpone says there’s great public interest in what public universities are teaching students and he thinks America’s public colleges have lost sight of their mission. “Some of the names of these courses, they’re almost like The Onion,” Timpone says. Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University journalism professor, argues that groups like Metric Media are weaponizing public records laws to pressure and silence professors. We also hear from two faculty members who’ve been targeted: Christopher Petsko, a business professor at the University of North Carolina, and Jennifer Ho, a professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado–Boulder. And as the Trump administration threatens to withhold federal research funding unless universities sign its proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” some schools have already declined. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, tells us why he believes the compact would be disastrous for colleges and the country and why you should care. “This is nothing short of a government attempt to make institutions creatures of the state,” Mitchell said. “That’s so antithetical to what higher education is and does. Higher education is about inquiry-based research, discovery-based teaching, and to deprive institutions of the ability to do that is really tantamount to just making them propaganda engines.” The New College Compact explores the escalating battle over academic freedom, political pressure, and the future of higher education in America. Additional links:  Local colleges targeted amid growing campus culture wars Zombies, Garbage And Vampires? It's Not A Nightmare, It's Your College Course Catalog Un-Welcome to College DEI Backlash “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editors: Azita Ghahramani and Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News 

Artificial intelligence is still new on college campuses, but it’s already transforming how professors teach and how students learn. Surveys show most students now rely on generative AI for everything from applying to college to getting through it. Some educators are leaning in, treating AI as a teaching partner. Others are leaning out, doubling down on in-person, discussion-based learning. Either way, one thing is clear: AI isn’t going anywhere. This new technology is also reshaping the job market. Young workers are seeing fewer openings in fields most exposed to automation — software development, social media, coding. That’s why colleges are racing to future-proof their programs. In this bonus episode of College Uncovered, GBH’s Kirk Carapezza visits campuses to hear directly from professors and students who are adapting in real time. Harvard physicist Greg Kestin has built a custom chatbot — an “always-on” tutor that mimics himself. Boston College English professor Carlo Rotella, author of What Can I Get Out of This?, sees his unplugged, device-free classes as cutting-edge, urging students to slow down and do the work of building something together themselves. At Wentworth Institute of Technology, faculty are designing a new applied AI degree to give graduates a kind of surfboard to ride the coming digital and labor tsunamis. And Kerry McKittrick, co-director of Harvard’s Project on Workforce, explains what students and families need to know right now about AI and college and how colleges are using AI to boost completion rates and align what they teach with what employers actually need. Additional links:  With AI common on campus, some educators are leaning in (GBH) Rather than AI, this professor chooses a chalkboard and old-fashioned books (GBH) Colleges hope to ‘AI-proof’ their offerings as new tech changes job expectations (GBH) Crossing the Great AI Divide (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce) “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editors: Azita Ghahramani and Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Isabel Hibbard Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News 

College football bowl season is underway, with wall-to-wall games on TV, packed stadiums and multi-million-dollar broadcasts dominated by a few dozen powerhouse programs.In Amherst, Massachusetts, it’s quiet. That’s because the University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen just finished the 2025 season without a single win, the only team in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision to do so. Over the past 13 seasons, since joining the FBS, UMass has stumbled to a stunning 26-130 record.Their collapse has turned McGuirk Alumni Stadium into a concrete, empty symbol of a bigger problem: public universities pouring tens of millions into athletics just as American higher education is facing both a financial reckoning and a demographic enrollment cliff. “It’s a disastrous enterprise,” said Boston Globe sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy, who has repeatedly used his weekly column to criticize UMass’s investment in football. When teams like the Minutemen can’t compete, he argues, pouring institutional dollars into football looks especially bad for a public university. “We’re sending these kids out there to take these beatings and to possibly get hurt and it’s just not right,” Shaughnessy said. “Don’t blame the athletes when you see those scores because they shouldn’t be put up against these teams.” In this episode of College Uncovered, GBH’s Kirk Carapezza talks with Amy Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, which finds nationwide severance pay for fired football coaches has hit a record high. Public universities now owe more than $228 million in buyouts for just 15 fired head coaches. Then economist James Koch, former president of Old Dominion University and the University of Montana, explains his new statistical analysis that argues big-time college sports don’t benefit students and graduates at all and may actually leave them worse off. Links: After an abysmal season, UMass Amherst’s football program faces scrutiny “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editors: Azita Ghahramani and Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Isabel Hibbard Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News 

College Uncovered Season 4 is here!  We’re standing on the precipice of a “demographic cliff” threatening higher education. A drop in the number of 18-year-olds that are alive right now – triggered by a decline in birth rates after the  2008 Great Recession – is forcing colleges to rethink everything. Schools across the country are changing admissions, restructuring financial aid, rebranding the humanities, and finding new ways to recruit and educate young men, whose numbers are dropping even more precipitously on many campuses. We’ll uncover how these changes affect students, families, higher education, the economy, and our society at large. College Uncovered is hosted by Kirk Carapezza and Jon Marcus, two skilled multimedia journalists with decades of experience in covering higher education in the United States. They offer students, their families, and anyone curious about the business of college, an unvarnished look at a uniquely American system – and help you make better informed choices. New episodes of College Uncovered drop each week through May and are available wherever you listen to podcasts. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts and Producers: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Editor: Jonathan A. Davis  Fact -checker: Ryan Alderman Executive Editor: Jenifer McKim Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Artwork: Matt Welch  Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.

Divisive protests, police crackdowns, and a chilling backlash against free speech are among the reasons that a growing number of students say they don’t feel welcome on some college campuses. Conflicts over abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and DEI, as well as what can and can’t be taught in classrooms are stirring up campus life against the backdrop of a contentious presidential election. A majority of students say abortion laws and restrictions around the discussion of race and gender would have at least some effect on where they go to college, according to Gallup polling. The same polls also find that some students at four-year universities feel as if they don’t belong or disrespected. Students on the left and right alike say they’re increasingly reluctant to express controversial opinions, but that it’s okay to report on classmates or faculty who do. That’s why we’re exploring the politics of higher education this season. College has become a new battleground in the culture wars, and it's affecting where students enroll and what they’re learning. Learn more from the Hechinger Report's College Welcome Guide! “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Hosts: Kirk Carapezza & Jon Marcus Supervising Editor: Megan Woolhouse Editor: Jeff Keating Executive Producer: Ellen London  Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Meiqian He Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report.