This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for October 19, 2026
In this week's This Week in College Viability News and Commentary, I begin with some positive reflections on visits to the U.S. Air Force Academy, the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, and the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs.
I then turn to the financial realities facing higher education, including nearly 1,200 layoffs at USC despite growing administrative expenses, Bennington College's $18 million structural deficit and potential faculty reductions, and Marquette University's encouraging enrollment and graduation trends.
I also challenge George Mason University's promotion of direct admissions, arguing that making it easier to admit students does not necessarily help families determine whether a college is affordable, financially healthy, or capable of delivering strong outcomes. I examine changes in accreditation, Albion College's tuition reset, and the growing financial pressures facing college families.
I then turn to the financial realities facing higher education, including nearly 1,200 layoffs at USC despite growing administrative expenses, Bennington College's $18 million structural deficit and potential faculty reductions, and Marquette University's encouraging enrollment and graduation trends.
I also challenge George Mason University's promotion of direct admissions, arguing that making it easier to admit students does not necessarily help families determine whether a college is affordable, financially healthy, or capable of delivering strong outcomes. I examine changes in accreditation, Albion College's tuition reset, and the growing financial pressures facing college families.
I conclude by challenging the meaning of the widely promoted "social mobility" college rankings. While these rankings recognize graduation outcomes for Pell Grant recipients, I point out that they do not actually measure whether graduates improve their economic circumstances. I explain how the College Viability Pell Equity Gap provides families with a transparent comparison of graduation rates for Pell recipients and other students.
My message throughout the show is that rankings, admissions offers, tuition discounts, and college marketing should never substitute for independent financial and academic due diligence. Colleges know a great deal about students and families through the admissions and FAFSA processes. It's time for families to know just as much about the colleges asking for their investment.
Show notes and links:
USC cut 1,198 jobs while its administration grew — the deficit story nobody in the C-suite wants told
Bennington College tells faculty a third of them could be laid off
Marquette: fifth straight year of growth, 8,238 undergrads
My message throughout the show is that rankings, admissions offers, tuition discounts, and college marketing should never substitute for independent financial and academic due diligence. Colleges know a great deal about students and families through the admissions and FAFSA processes. It's time for families to know just as much about the colleges asking for their investment.
Show notes and links:
USC cut 1,198 jobs while its administration grew — the deficit story nobody in the C-suite wants told
Bennington College tells faculty a third of them could be laid off
Marquette: fifth straight year of growth, 8,238 undergrads