Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino didn’t sugarcoat it: Pennsylvania’s public higher ed system is shrinking fast—and trust is vanishing with it.
In a recent conversation, Fiorentino acknowledged that Penn State is preparing to shut down seven campuses. He called it “gut-wrenching,” but unavoidable. Over the last decade, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) lost one-third of its total enrollment.
Fewer students are going to college—and more Americans are questioning whether a degree is still worth the cost. “We’re going through a mini crisis in higher education where people are questioning the value of a degree,” Fiorentino said.
That crisis isn’t just philosophical—it’s financial. To make up for declining enrollment, schools raised tuition. But as Fiorentino admits:
“As you increase tuition, your price is higher, so you can lose students because of that too.”
This feedback loop is killing the system.
In what other sector would rising costs, declining performance, and mass customer defection be met with even higher prices—and more taxpayer subsidies?
If this were any other field, there would be sweeping reforms. In higher ed, we get polite hand-wringing and continued decline.
The numbers say it all—and they demand accountability.
