This year's annual report begins with good news from the 2024-25 AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey: Wage growth for full-time faculty members in US higher education exceeded inflation for the second consecutive year, following three consecutive years of declining real (inflation-adjusted) salaries. However, despite the positive trend over the last…

In aggregate, state appropriations are the largest revenue source for public higher education in the United States. However, these appropriations have significantly declined over past decades, drawing serious concerns about the potential negative impact on schools and students. This paper provides a more comprehensive study of the effects of state…

State appropriations for higher education are highly cyclical, with downturns in funding during difficult financial times followed by increases in funding when state finances improve. This policy brief shares recent research about whether the duration of recoveries from cuts in appropriations for higher education has changed over time and which…

This report examines college and university finances during one of the most turbulent economic periods in decades. The financial ramifications of the 2008 recession were vast, affecting students' ability to pay for college, lawmakers' prioritization of public resources, and the budgetary environment facing higher education leaders. The challenges…

Since 2006 (with the exception of 2013), the "Student Academic Experience Survey" has been designed and developed in partnership between the Higher Education Policy Institute and the Higher Education Academy (HEPI-HEA). The Survey has become one of the major surveys within the UK higher education landscape, providing insight into how…

The Higher Education Policy Institute and Higher Education Academy (HEPI-HEA) "Student Academic Experience Survey" has been running since 2006 and shows how full-time undergraduates rate their time in higher education and their attitudes towards policy issues that impact upon them. The Survey has been designed and developed in…

The Higher Education Policy Institute and Higher Education Academy (HEPI-HEA) "Student Academic Experience Survey" has been running since 2006 and is now a fixture in the policy landscape. Its focus on what students get, how hard they work, and what they think of their experience makes it even more useful at a time of high fees and…

During the economic expansion of the past several years, interest in the subject of spending broadened as public interest groups, the media and the Senate Finance Committee voiced concerns about whether colleges and universities were distributing enough from their endowments each year. Critics argued that after many years of strong investment…

After decades of focusing on expansion and access, California's institutions of higher education are now being handed a more difficult charge: to dramatically increase the number of college graduates with diminishing state funding. There is a growing consensus that the United States needs to ratchet up its production of college graduates to turn…

"Key Facts about Higher Education in Washington" provides vital data to chart higher education's progress and challenges. First published in 2002 by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, this annual report highlights "Key Facts" about Washington's postsecondary institutions--including faculty, students, budgets,…

A weak stock market has resulted in lowered returns on college endowment investments. Many institutions had funds tied up in American stocks and bonds, which performed poorly. Although most institutions say their endowed programs or scholarships are not adversely affected, some programs are being reduced or eliminated as a result. (MSE)

A survey of 411 institutions of higher education is analyzed in terms of the short-term and long-term financial pressures on colleges experiencing cuts in operating budgets. Noted are the heavy impact of budget cuts on public institutions and the increased numbers of traditional first-year students. (DB)

Data from a variety of sources confirmed that the opening of the 2001-2002 academic year brought a return to reduced appropriations for higher education and higher tuition increases. As the impact of the continued economic slowdown and the financial blows from the September terrorist attacks become known, policymakers continue to reduce budgets…

As the 2002-2003 academic year got underway, many public colleges and universities found themselves wrestling with mid-year state funding reductions, significant enrollment growth, and pressure to hold the line on tuition. With unfunded enrollment mounting and another bleak budget year on the horizon, states and their higher education institutions…

Data from several sources, including annual surveys by the College Board, show that the robust economy of recent years relieved pressure on institutions to increase their tuition and fees, but current budget constraints may result in increased tuition and fees for students. The rate of increase in tuition and fees at public four-year institutions…