Syracuse University issues financial warning as admissions slump: We’re in the red

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"In an email to staff and faculty, Chancellor Mike Haynie said SU did not hit its undergraduate enrollment target for next year. As a result the school will not bring in enough revenue to cover its spending.

“This a moment for urgency and purpose — not panic. Universities that respond with focused, strategic effort will emerge stronger. Those that do not will find their options narrowing," Haynie said in the email. “I am committed to ensuring Syracuse is in the former category.”

https://www.syracuse.com/syracuse-university/2026/06/syracuse-university-issues-financial-warning-as-admissions-slump-were-in-the-red.html


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A lot of these types of colleges- private, not particularly selective, are going to be in this predicament. We are seeing a piling in of applications to T50 colleges. If you are a private college whose cost of attendance approaches $95,000 per year and you are, for better or worse, perceived as being a mediocre/non-selective college, the competition to attract high achieving students is fierce.

There are a decent amount of families - with VERY average kids - that can pay $95k per year.

First of all, for all of the hating on Syracuse, I wouldn't call the students "VERY" average. Yes, it is not an Ivy or close. But there are plenty of bright kids there. Particularly since the average students there are interacting with kids from the more selective programs.

Also, there are some parents with plenty of money who want their kids surrounded by kids from like backgrounds. Particularly in the northeast, the state schools tend to be an upward mobility mechanism for middle class kids and below. Families with money, for better or worse, don't necessarily want to be a part of that and would rather have their kids be around others from similar backgrounds, even if they theoretically aren't as bright. You can call them snobs or whatever you want but such is life - you want to give your child every chance to get ahead and some consider this a way of doing so. IYKYK.

[Anonymous]

They just need a good March Madness run and applications will go up again.

[Anonymous]

Google tells me that Syracuse's discount rate is 45% -- that means (if I'm understanding correctly) that the average student pays only 55% of the 100Kish sticker price.

Wouldn't it be bold for Syracuse, or some other private, to slash cost of attendance, say, by 35%? I'm not sure how the math would math but I think a much lower initial sticker price would attract a lot of donut hole families/ make them competitive with the SEC schools. . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:America does not want to experience college walking between snow trenches. That’s their fundamental problem. If Syracuse was as far south of NYC as it is north, Syracuse would be fine.

This made me laugh, because I went to Syracuse and it was truly the best 4 years of my life... Snow and all.

Same. The student experience is top tier. You actually get used to the freezing temps and snow. Some would say it builds resilience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We will see majority of small (SLACs) private colleges closing in the next five years.

Are you high?

Kids don't want to waste miney on the small liberal arts colleges.

They either want the prestigious top 10-20 schools, or they want the big, fun, traditional college experience with the SEC and big 10 sports and the insta worthy greek party scene.

Schools like Notre Dame and Michigan that hit both of those categories will come out at the very top.

ND does not have a greek scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Google tells me that Syracuse's discount rate is 45% -- that means (if I'm understanding correctly) that the average student pays only 55% of the 100Kish sticker price.

Wouldn't it be bold for Syracuse, or some other private, to slash cost of attendance, say, by 35%? I'm not sure how the math would math but I think a much lower initial sticker price would attract a lot of donut hole families/ make them competitive with the SEC schools. . . .

This. I would love to see more schools do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"In an email to staff and faculty, Chancellor Mike Haynie said SU did not hit its undergraduate enrollment target for next year. As a result the school will not bring in enough revenue to cover its spending.

“This a moment for urgency and purpose — not panic. Universities that respond with focused, strategic effort will emerge stronger. Those that do not will find their options narrowing," Haynie said in the email. “I am committed to ensuring Syracuse is in the former category.”

https://www.syracuse.com/syracuse-university/2026/06/syracuse-university-issues-financial-warning-as-admissions-slump-were-in-the-red.html


-----

A lot of these types of colleges- private, not particularly selective, are going to be in this predicament. We are seeing a piling in of applications to T50 colleges. If you are a private college whose cost of attendance approaches $95,000 per year and you are, for better or worse, perceived as being a mediocre/non-selective college, the competition to attract high achieving students is fierce.

There are a decent amount of families - with VERY average kids - that can pay $95k per year.

First of all, for all of the hating on Syracuse, I wouldn't call the students "VERY" average. Yes, it is not an Ivy or close. But there are plenty of bright kids there. Particularly since the average students there are interacting with kids from the more selective programs.

Also, there are some parents with plenty of money who want their kids surrounded by kids from like backgrounds. Particularly in the northeast, the state schools tend to be an upward mobility mechanism for middle class kids and below. Families with money, for better or worse, don't necessarily want to be a part of that and would rather have their kids be around others from similar backgrounds, even if they theoretically aren't as bright. You can call them snobs or whatever you want but such is life - you want to give your child every chance to get ahead and some consider this a way of doing so. IYKYK.

Problem is, many of these kids from the Northeast don’t want to go to school there. They are flooding southern same tier schools like Miami, Tulane, SMU, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"In an email to staff and faculty, Chancellor Mike Haynie said SU did not hit its undergraduate enrollment target for next year. As a result the school will not bring in enough revenue to cover its spending.

“This a moment for urgency and purpose — not panic. Universities that respond with focused, strategic effort will emerge stronger. Those that do not will find their options narrowing," Haynie said in the email. “I am committed to ensuring Syracuse is in the former category.”

https://www.syracuse.com/syracuse-university/2026/06/syracuse-university-issues-financial-warning-as-admissions-slump-were-in-the-red.html


-----

A lot of these types of colleges- private, not particularly selective, are going to be in this predicament. We are seeing a piling in of applications to T50 colleges. If you are a private college whose cost of attendance approaches $95,000 per year and you are, for better or worse, perceived as being a mediocre/non-selective college, the competition to attract high achieving students is fierce.

There are a decent amount of families - with VERY average kids - that can pay $95k per year.

First of all, for all of the hating on Syracuse, I wouldn't call the students "VERY" average. Yes, it is not an Ivy or close. But there are plenty of bright kids there. Particularly since the average students there are interacting with kids from the more selective programs.

Also, there are some parents with plenty of money who want their kids surrounded by kids from like backgrounds. Particularly in the northeast, the state schools tend to be an upward mobility mechanism for middle class kids and below. Families with money, for better or worse, don't necessarily want to be a part of that and would rather have their kids be around others from similar backgrounds, even if they theoretically aren't as bright. You can call them snobs or whatever you want but such is life - you want to give your child every chance to get ahead and some consider this a way of doing so. IYKYK.

Problem is, many of these kids from the Northeast don’t want to go to school there. They are flooding southern same tier schools like Miami, Tulane, SMU, etc.

The SEC folks are out in force (again). Northeast kids are *flooding* the South?? Lol. There is no proof that more students from the North are heading South than the other way around. I live on the edge of the South and locally our graduating HS seniors go to college everywhere. Our college t shirt days have names from all over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"In an email to staff and faculty, Chancellor Mike Haynie said SU did not hit its undergraduate enrollment target for next year. As a result the school will not bring in enough revenue to cover its spending.

“This a moment for urgency and purpose — not panic. Universities that respond with focused, strategic effort will emerge stronger. Those that do not will find their options narrowing," Haynie said in the email. “I am committed to ensuring Syracuse is in the former category.”

https://www.syracuse.com/syracuse-university/2026/06/syracuse-university-issues-financial-warning-as-admissions-slump-were-in-the-red.html


-----

A lot of these types of colleges- private, not particularly selective, are going to be in this predicament. We are seeing a piling in of applications to T50 colleges. If you are a private college whose cost of attendance approaches $95,000 per year and you are, for better or worse, perceived as being a mediocre/non-selective college, the competition to attract high achieving students is fierce.

There are a decent amount of families - with VERY average kids - that can pay $95k per year.

First of all, for all of the hating on Syracuse, I wouldn't call the students "VERY" average. Yes, it is not an Ivy or close. But there are plenty of bright kids there. Particularly since the average students there are interacting with kids from the more selective programs.

Also, there are some parents with plenty of money who want their kids surrounded by kids from like backgrounds. Particularly in the northeast, the state schools tend to be an upward mobility mechanism for middle class kids and below. Families with money, for better or worse, don't necessarily want to be a part of that and would rather have their kids be around others from similar backgrounds, even if they theoretically aren't as bright. You can call them snobs or whatever you want but such is life - you want to give your child every chance to get ahead and some consider this a way of doing so. IYKYK.

Problem is, many of these kids from the Northeast don’t want to go to school there. They are flooding southern same tier schools like Miami, Tulane, SMU, etc.

The SEC folks are out in force (again). Northeast kids are *flooding* the South?? Lol. There is no proof that more students from the North are heading South than the other way around. I live on the edge of the South and locally our graduating HS seniors go to college everywhere. Our college t shirt days have names from all over.

"Flooding" might be an exaggeration but it is pretty universally acknowledged that there are more northern kids heading south, particularly to some of the big SEC schools that historically very few would consider (and those who considered them tended to be very weak academically). Combined with the decline in applicants from the northeast - "cliff" is also an exaggeration but there is truly a decline - it means fewer kids for schools in the northeast. Which is why a number of small schools in the area are closing.

Despite its challenges and the fact that many of its students are from the region, Syracuse still remains a national school and has plenty going for it such that rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated. I have friends from the south whose kids have gone there and they definitely were not alone.

[Anonymous]

Syracuse's president 15-20 years ago revamped what type of student they wanted. They went all in on URM and lower SES students and lowered the admission standards. There was uproar about it back then its effects are still being felt today.

Its location in Syracuse doesn't help. There's no way you can convince me that if BC, BU, Northeastern, Tufts, etc. wasn't in or near Boston that they would have the same selectivity or reputation that they enjoy today.

[Anonymous]

well they probably didn't want to have the only minority students on campus on the athletic teams...so

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:America does not want to experience college walking between snow trenches. That’s their fundamental problem. If Syracuse was as far south of NYC as it is north, Syracuse would be fine.

Nah. With our current administration doing everything it can to enable maximum global warming, in a few years people will be fleeing the South. Too hot, too many bad hurricanes etc. Syracuse and places like that will moderate and become the place to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Syracuse's president 15-20 years ago revamped what type of student they wanted. They went all in on URM and lower SES students and lowered the admission standards. There was uproar about it back then its effects are still being felt today.

Its location in Syracuse doesn't help. There's no way you can convince me that if BC, BU, Northeastern, Tufts, etc. wasn't in or near Boston that they would have the same selectivity or reputation that they enjoy today.

Just like with subprime mortgages, it is always the fault of POC.

[Anonymous]

Private colleges with subpar endowments may drop next. They can’t throw that much money at students because their endowment is pretty small for student size. Seems like a downward spiral.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private colleges with subpar endowments may drop next. They can’t throw that much money at students because their endowment is pretty small for student size. Seems like a downward spiral.

Yes. I do not think this is relevant to Syracuse at all as it will be fine, but for smaller, less selective schools, one has to be very careful of the death spiral. Where enrollment starts to decline and then people start to get apprehensive that the school might be having trouble and don't want to go there for fear that it will close, which then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Which is also why I generally hate threads like this and think that people need to be really, really careful about rumor mongering. Because most of the people who start threads declaring the pending death of a school have zero idea what they are talking about and that is dangerous. Yes - schools are closing and it is helpful that people know about this and are aware of the signs. But the intelligentsia (note my sarcasm) of DCUM are generally not the people to do this.