U.S. undergraduate enrollment has fallen 12% since 2010, with two‑year colleges down 39%, and the shrinking pipeline of young people means fewer students even if college costs improve. The author argues this will hollow out college‑dependent towns, creating a 'Second Rust Belt' as 'education mills' contract. Managing the fallout will require proactive regional transition plans, not just campus fixes.
— It reframes higher‑education debates as a demographic and regional‑economy challenge, warning policymakers to plan for post‑college‑town futures.
msmash
2026.01.15
85% relevant
Both the article and that idea document structural changes in college enrollment: the article provides fresh, multi‑year Clearinghouse data showing growth in community‑college/certificate enrollment (e.g., community college certificate enrollments up 28% in four years; 752,000 students), which is the same phenomenon 'Peak 18‑Year‑Old' forecasts—fewer traditional 18‑year‑old entrants and pressure on four‑year campus models.
Tyler Cowen
2026.01.10
50% relevant
The article about economists’ hiring collapse connects to the existing idea about demographic headwinds for higher education: falling admissions pipelines and enrollment pressures help explain why faculty hiring (including PhD economist positions) is shrinking, amplifying localized and sectoral shocks to college towns and academic labor markets.
2026.01.05
68% relevant
National fertility trends from the World Bank underpin projections of the size of the 18‑year‑old cohort years ahead; planners and higher‑education analysts use this indicator to forecast enrollment declines that drive the 'college‑town' economic argument.
EditorDavid
2025.11.29
80% relevant
The NBC poll documents declining faith that four‑year degrees pay off and increased interest in two‑year/technical routes; that demand shift directly amplifies the demographic and enrollment pressures described in 'Peak 18‑Year‑Old Hits College Towns' and helps explain why college towns and campus budgets face long‑term contraction risks.
kyla scanlon
2025.10.10
100% relevant
Western Kentucky University as a case study; NCES figures on enrollment decline (12% overall, two‑year colleges from 7.7m to 4.7m).