US colleges slash tuition by tens of thousands as price-sensitive families balk
Facing a record-low belief in the value of a degree, dozens of US colleges have reduced published tuition and fees by up to half, though many students may see limited net savings.
Amid a Gallup poll showing only three in ten Americans view post-high-school education as very important, colleges across the United States are trimming tuition and program fees by tens of thousands of dollars. At least a dozen schools, including several private colleges, have announced cuts that reduce published undergraduate prices by roughly 40-50%, while the average institutional discount for first-time undergraduates rose to 57.1% in the 2025-26 year.
Nick Standlea, founder of High School Reach, says the reductions signal a departure from the previous strategy of posting high sticker prices to make scholarships appear generous. Some institutions, such as Emory & Henry, are also scaling back merit scholarships as tuition falls. Early enrollment data show modest gains at schools like Emory & Henry and Tulsa, though research on the long-term impact of such price resets remains mixed. Moody’s downgraded one university to junk status, citing structural deficits, highlighting financial pressures behind the pricing changes.
Why it matters
Lower tuition could affect college affordability and enrollment trends for millions of students.
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