Future of Division III

[d-train]

ODAC has some problem children between Averett and Guilford. There are a few others that I would look real closely at before writing a check for my kid.

It was this past fall, I think, that there were some posts on the ODAC boards about financial issues and personnel discontent at Lynchburg. Are you thinking of any others?

I think Lynchburg will be ok. Thinking more of Sweet Briar or EMU. Schools very dependent on tuition and relatively small endowments.

I found some info on EMU. In this report is a graph that provides a Financial Strength Score from the Council of Independent Colleges. Based on that one metric, they seem to be stable.

EMU President's Report 2024

I wasn't able to look at the link, but I think EMU more due to the type of school. Smaller religious schools seem most at risk right now. While EMU is not strictly Menonite, or even a majority Menonite, it does have strong ties. It's a small school, under 1000 undergrads, possibly as low as 800, charges almost 50K a year on the sticker (I suspect the real cost is closer to 20K per year), and has a 40MM endowment. The school, as far as I can tell, has limited national reputation.

It's exactly the business model that I think will come under the greatest pressure, with the lone exception that there are about 200-300 graduate students on campus.

Wow - small world sometimes! Averett and Guilford both reached out to my son within the past week or so with recruiting pitches (lacrosse). He doesn't want to consider schools much smaller than 2k anyway - but with the closure of Limestone - I've been doing at least a quick check of enrollment trends and endowment numbers before we return calls from anyone. Roanoke seems relatively stable (though not a huge endowment). Wash & Lee will certainly be a target from our end. Berry has also reached out and I was pleasantly surprised by their situation.

[Ron Boerger]

Wow - small world sometimes! Averett and Guilford both reached out to my son within the past week or so with recruiting pitches (lacrosse). He doesn't want to consider schools much smaller than 2k anyway - but with the closure of Limestone - I've been doing at least a quick check of enrollment trends and endowment numbers before we return calls from anyone. Roanoke seems relatively stable (though not a huge endowment). Wash & Lee will certainly be a target from our end. Berry has also reached out and I was pleasantly surprised by their situation.

Either W&L or Berry would be excellent choices from an academic, athletic, and financial stability standpoint; while the former is likely to be hit by the increased tax likely to be placed on endowment earnings in the proposed federal budget, with just over $2B available the impact (7% of earnings) should be survivable.  With nearly $1.4B and over 2000 students, Berry should not be subjected to the higher rate and will pay the current 1.4% on its endowment earnings.

[Kuiper]

Price competition is going to be increasingly important among DIII schools outside the truly elite.  This strikes me as both more sensible than the non-transparent deep discounting that goes on behind the scenes at many schools and, at the same time, a sign that Kean was either maxed out in competing for in-state students with other New Jersey public colleges and universities or was maxed out in terms of its ability to compete for "elite" students.  In terms of athletics, it may give them a boost in recruiting.

Kean Approves In-State Tuition for students in NY, DE, PA, MD, VA, and DC

The Kean University Board of Trustees voted this week to apply in-state tuition rates to students from several surrounding states, expanding access and opportunity for students across the region.

The new rates apply to students from New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. 

The initiative underscores Kean's mission to provide affordable, high-quality education and strengthens its regional recruitment efforts as an R2 research university with four consecutive years of record enrollment and more than 18,500 students worldwide.

"This initiative is a natural next step in our strategy to expand access to Kean's world-class, inclusive education and to draw talented students from across the region," said Kean University President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. "It reflects our growth as a major research university and our continued commitment to equity, opportunity and academic excellence."

The new tuition program, approved on June 23, will take effect for the 2025-2026 academic year. Both new and current students from the designated states and Washington, D.C., will be eligible for the in-state tuition rate. For full-time undergraduate students, annual tuition and fees will total $15,299.60, reinforcing Kean's standing as New Jersey's most affordable university.

[Ron Boerger]

According to NCES, Kean's undergraduate enrollment was 92% in-state, 3% out-of-state, 5% international for Fall '23, the most recent year available.  So it won't cost much (3% would be 337 students) and much of that cost is probably already accounted for in the deep tuition discounting you mention.  And as you say, it could increase the number of regional students which no doubt is their intention. 

[Caz Bombers]

Marywood to the MAC in 2026-27.

Atlantic East Conference looks less viable by the day.

[jknezek]

Albright auctioning off their art collection to raise capital:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/06/26/albright-college-plans-auction-artworks