Ransomware attacks targeting educational institutions rose in 2025, with 251 incidents logged globally and U.S. schools accounting for the bulk of breaches and exposed records. Prominent incidents included the University of Phoenix (nearly 3.5 million affected) and breaches tied to the Cl0p syndicate exploiting an Oracle E‑Business Suite vulnerability. The attacks compromised millions of student and personnel records, prompting questions about vendor risk management, third‑party software patching and institutional incident response capabilities. Cyberinsurance, breach notification obligations, and potential regulatory scrutiny are immediate concerns for college legal and IT teams. Universities must update vendor due diligence, accelerate patch management, and consider structural investments—such as zero‑trust architectures and dedicated cyber incident response teams—to reduce risk and protect student privacy.