The SORT — June 12: Private College Discounts Hit 57%
New data shows private college students typically pay around half the sticker price, while one major university reshaped its academic structure to close a budget gap.
Private College Tuition Discounts Hit Record 57%, NACUBO Finds
In 2025-26, private nonprofit colleges awarded an average of 57.1 cents in institutional grant aid for every dollar of tuition and fees charged to first-time, full-time undergraduates — up from 54.5% the prior year and the highest rate in at least a decade, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Nine in 10 incoming first-year students received institutional grants, and 84% of all undergraduates received some aid. After adjusting for inflation, colleges collected roughly 2% less net tuition revenue per student than the year before.
Why it matters: The sticker price at a private college is not what most students pay — if cost is the reason you're ruling out a school, check the actual average net price before deciding.
Source: NACUBO
University of Denver Closes Five Departments in Budget Restructuring
The University of Denver announced June 9 it will close five academic departments — including Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies — and merge five schools and colleges into two as part of a restructuring driven by a projected budget deficit of up to $30 million. All existing academic programs will continue outside the dissolved department structures. DU's board approved a balanced fiscal 2027 budget the same week by leaving vacant positions unfilled and cutting expenses.
Why it matters: Current and prospective DU students are not losing academic programs — but the restructuring is a visible sign of the financial pressure declining enrollment places on tuition-dependent private universities.
Source: Higher Ed Dive
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