18 year olds are an endangered species

[MillCreek]

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/08/nx-s1-5246200/demographic-cliff-fewer-college-students-mean-fewer-graduates

I bet the military is also sweating this.  I wonder if Brad's university will be seeing this.

[Perd Hapley]

Oh teh noes! 4B movement has brought America to its knees! Checkmate, MAGA!

[dogmush]

At this rate every 18 year old currently in America will no longer be in less than 12 months!!!

[WLJ]

At this rate every 18 year old currently in America will no longer be in less than 12 months!!!

I blame climate change

[230RN]

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/08/nx-s1-5246200/demographic-cliff-fewer-college-students-mean-fewer-graduates

I bet the military is also sweating this.  I wonder if Brad's university will be seeing this.

Google U.  And fascinating science / tech programs on TV.  About 10 years ago I started resenting the fact that I spent so many years with my soft pink ass on hard brown oak chairs to learn what is readily available on line from your soft gray couch.

Terry, 230RN

[Hawkmoon]

When I read this I briefly hoped it might lead to the demise of some of the shoddy, degree factory "universities" that prey on gullible youths.

Then sanity prevailed, and I realized that those degree factory "universities" will just admit more foreign students, whose parents are willing to pay any amount so their spawn can have a degree from an American "university." Meanwhile, legitimate colleges such as the one mentioned in the article will falter.

[MechAg94]

When I read this I briefly hoped it might lead to the demise of some of the shoddy, degree factory "universities" that prey on gullible youths.

Then sanity prevailed, and I realized that those degree factory "universities" will just admit more foreign students, whose parents are willing to pay any amount so their spawn can have a degree from an American "university." Meanwhile, legitimate colleges such as the one mentioned in the article will falter.

They also wouldn't do anything like lower tuition costs to make the university more attractive.  No place for free market thinking at a university. 

[MechAg94]

The other issue is many jobs often don't care what your degree is (within limits I imagine) or where you went to school.  They just want to see a degree.  The "degree factories" are going to be easier to get through and cheaper overall. 

Also, there are plenty of reputable schools that I feel have become degree factories (at least with some degrees).  Not every semester in engineering was difficult, but when I hear stories told of students getting drunk 6 nights a week, I have to wonder just how difficult their classes are (that was education). 

[French G.]

I love how they admit that 57% of the jobs they are worried about won't require a degree and then immediately jump back to their lament of those poor colleges bleeding money.  I guess if I have to keep working this is good, less replacements will necessarily drive up blue collar wages. I am patiently training a herd of 18-20 year olds, I want to not work forever.  In my small sample the kids out of high school are way better now than the ones 5 years ago.

[230RN]

Ho-Hum.

The "Ohm's law" of economics.

Current = f (Voltage / Resistance)

Price = f (demand / supply)

Ergo:

Universities' tuition income = f ( employers' demand for degrees / supply of easily obtainable degrees)

Water flow = f (pressure / resistance of the piping)

<yawn>

(Read "f" as "is a function of")

Nap time.

Terry, 230RN

[grampster]

Trump's fault.

[230RN]

Trump's fault.

Ayup.  Ten-fore.

[T.O.M.]

IMHO, there are too many colleges and universities anyways.  Ohio has somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred colleges (not counting tech/vocational schools).  They range from big colleges like Ohio State and Cincinnati with 50,000+ students to some of the tiny ones with a couple of hundred students.  If some of the smaller ones go out of business because of a lack of students, not a big loss.

Lack of manpower for the military is a concern.  But I'm sure the AI robots will do just fine filling the gap.

[MechAg94]

The military is a similar issue.  The current leadership have been telling the typical recruit that they hate them and then they wonder why they don't want to join. 

[K Frame]

According to "da guggles" there are 5,916 colleges/universities in the United States.

[230RN]

...

[Perd Hapley]

Nearly 300 colleges and universities offering an associate degree or higher closed between 2008 and 2023. For-profit operators ran more than 60 percent of those colleges and universities.

https://hechingerreport.org/tracking-college-closures/

A flurry of colleges and universities have shut their doors following the pandemic, and 2024 didn’t show signs of slowing down. Chances are closings will continue to uptick as higher education braces for the expected demographic cliff.

https://universitybusiness.com/the-college-closings-of-2024-and-what-lies-beyond/

[MillCreek]

^^^The first link was interesting with the number of trade schools and for-profit institutions.