Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
Education Department proposes accreditation overhaul — new rules for accreditors
The U.S. Department of Education outlined a package of regulatory changes aimed at remaking how accreditors are recognized and supervised. A Federal Register notice and follow-up guidance propose...
Twin Cities campuses go remote — universities beef up security after ICE protests
Universities in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area shifted operations and tightened campus security after two fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents. Several institutions moved classes...
Judge: DHS targeted students for protected speech — visas not a speech leash
Newly unsealed court documents and a federal ruling show Department of Homeland Security personnel targeted international students and scholars on the basis of campus protest activity, including...
Courts and regs collide — big higher‑ed lawsuits and a rollback on corporate college rules
Legal pressure on higher education is mounting on multiple fronts. A new roundup identifies five major lawsuits to watch in 2026—many centering on the Trump administration’s actions on admissions,...
ETS explores sale of GRE and TOEFL — testing nonprofit seeks buyers
Educational Testing Service is pursuing buyers or strategic investors for two of its core exams, the GRE and TOEFL, according to The Wall Street Journal. ETS has fielded interest from...
Nevada board approves tuition hikes — up to 12% to cover staff costs
The Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents voted 8–5 to raise tuition up to 12% over three years starting in fall 2026. NSHE officials estimate the increase will generate funds to...
AI reshapes early‑career hiring — banks retrain while researchers warn of a talent gap
Employers are accelerating reskilling programs as artificial intelligence automates entry‑level tasks and reshapes workplace pipelines. Citigroup told employees that 175,000 staffers will receive...
WashU Olin adds three specialized master’s — AI, sports business and wealth management
Washington University in St. Louis’s Olin Business School announced three specialized master’s degrees launching in fall 2026: Master of AI for Business, Master in Sports Business, and a Master in...
Universities recover less of research overhead — study finds $7.06bn shortfall
A study commissioned by research university associations finds that universities are reimbursed at lower effective rates for indirect research costs than private industry and federal laboratories....
Education Dept. targets accreditors—rules to ease new entrants, curb DEI
The U.S. Department of Education unveiled plans to rewrite accreditation regulations, proposing easier paths for new accreditors and explicit limits on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)...
Columbia taps UW–Madison chancellor—Mnookin to lead amid turmoil
Columbia University selected Jennifer Mnookin, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, to be its next president, naming a leader with a record of negotiating campus protests and state...
Court papers show DHS targeted campus speech—judge warns against status changes
Newly unsealed court documents show Department of Homeland Security officials recommended arrests and immigration actions tied to pro‑Palestinian campus activism, according to court filings. The...
Twin Cities campuses shift operations—remote classes, escorts after ICE raids
Universities in the Twin Cities moved some instruction online, added campus escorts and increased security after federal immigration operations and protests escalated in Minneapolis. Institutions...
Senate probes math readiness—selective colleges get data demand
Sen. Bill Cassidy launched an investigation into freshman math placements at selective institutions, sending document requests to 35 universities after a University of California San Diego report...
ETS markets GRE and TOEFL—testing nonprofit seeks buyers or partners
Educational Testing Service is exploring a sale or strategic investments for the GRE and TOEFL, the nonprofit’s board told reporters. The GRE has seen taker declines as many graduate programs...
Study finds universities under‑reimbursed on research overheads
A study commissioned by research‑university associations concluded universities recover a smaller share of federally sponsored research indirect costs than private industry, highlighting a $7.06...
Race lectures scrubbed, tenure under pressure—academic freedom frays
Professors at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock withdrew from a lecture series after administrators suggested changing titles and descriptions to avoid legislative scrutiny of race‑related...
Students trust mental‑health care but rarely use campus services
A new survey from the Hi, How Are You Project found 55% of students received some form of mental‑health care but only 18% used campus services, signaling a gap between trust and uptake. Students...
GWU halts Ph.D. admissions as visa, travel bans squeeze internationals
George Washington University paused admissions to five Ph.D. programs, citing financial constraints and a sharp decline in international applicants, the institution said. The pause reflects...
Columbia names UW–Madison chancellor as president – leadership churn ends
Columbia University selected Jennifer Mnookin, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as its next president. Mnookin, who has led UW–Madison since 2022, will remain at Madison through...