The University of Chicago reported a sharply reduced fiscal 2025 deficit — down about 44% to $160 million — after aggressive cuts, enrollment-driven revenue gains and fundraising, CFO Ivan Samstein said. The university signaled continued caution but called the result a meaningful step toward financial stability amid federal research uncertainties and rising expenses. By contrast, Limestone University in South Carolina closed after a failed rescue effort, citing chronic financial instability and unsuccessful last‑ditch fundraising. The closure illuminates pressure on smaller private institutions facing enrollment declines, limited endowments and higher operating costs. Together, the two developments highlight the diverging fates of well‑endowed research universities and financially fragile regional colleges.