WATCH: Trump Dept. of Education to encourage colleges to merge

The Trump administration expects many colleges to merge over the next decade, reflecting trends of higher costs and a shrinking pool of potential students.

Department of Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent said “the quiet part out loud” Monday, telling Bloomberg that “not all” of the nation’s 6,000 colleges and universities will survive the next decade.

“We’re seeing a contraction in higher education, both from the enrollment level as well as the physical space of institutions,” Kent said. A 2024 report predicted as many as 80 colleges would close.

“And so the Department of Education under the Trump administration is really focused on making sure that institutions that want to enter into partnerships through mergers and acquisitions have an easier time doing that.”

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