Impact of the Economic Recession on Student Enrollment and Faculty Composition in U.S. Higher Education: 2003-2018. A CUPA-HR Research Report

Many colleges and universities continue to face significant fiscal challenges since the 2008 recession. Two major revenue sources on which institutions rely -- federal research grants and state funding -- have declined over the past decade. Institutions are relying more than ever on tuition dollars. To assess the potential impact this financial pressure has had on higher ed institutions in the last decade, this report evaluates trends in student enrollment, faculty size relative to enrollment, faculty composition, and new faculty hires in the U.S. between 2003 and 2018 by analyzing 599 four-year higher education institutions that participated in CUPA-HR surveys every year during this period.