Indiana universities cut 68 degrees with zero enrollment, will merge or suspend 300 others

[rangerrebew]

Indiana universities cut 68 degrees with zero enrollment, will merge or suspend 300 others
Posted on August 21, 2025
By Nancy Bareham - Franciscan University of Steubenville
 
Indiana universities will eliminate 75 degree programs, including 68 with no enrollment, to comply with a budget bill aimed at reducing low-enrollment programs.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education reports that 404 programs will be affected, with 229 consolidated and 101 suspended.

Supporters believe these changes will help align university offerings with student and industry demand, while critics warn it may limit educational opportunities and economic development in the state.

Public universities in Indiana voluntarily will cut 75 different degree programs, including 68 with zero enrollment, as part of a state budget bill. More than 300 other degrees will either be suspended or consolidated as part of a new requirement to weed out low-enrollment programs, according to the state’s education department.

House Enrolled Act 1001 requires the suspension of low or zero enrollment programs unless a waiver is obtained by the state. State Representative Jeffrey Thompson sponsored the bill. He did not respond to requests for comment from The College Fix.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education announced in a news release “that six of the state’s higher education institutions voluntarily submitted more than 400 programs for elimination, suspension, or merger/consolidation.”

The legislation affects 404 programs across Indiana. So far, 229 programs will be merged and consolidated with other programs, while 101 will be suspended with teach-out, and 74 programs will be eliminated in their entirety.

https://www.thecollegefix.com/indiana-universities-cut-68-degrees-with-zero-enrollment-will-merge-or-suspend-300-others/

[rangerrebew]

I think they kept a really tough one in history though.  "The History of Toilet Repairs in America" is a favorite but a lot of people who are unprepared for its difficulty, get flushed.

[Smokin Joe]

Just because fewer opt for a field does not mean it is dross.

If people are following the path of least resistance through college, no wonder degrees in software engineering, chemical technology, unmanned systems, and nursing education are being cut. (I would think at least three of the four would be valued majors in this day and age).

In the meantime, the article didn't list one class in gender/victim studies going by the wayside.

[DB]

Did underwater basket weaving survive?

[mountaineer]

Offering a single class on a topic - underwater basket weaving or 17-century lesbian Bulgarian literature - that may be of interest to a few people doesn't justify creating an entire major, when it means the college has to foot the bill for all the necessary instructors. Not every college has to offer every conceivable major. If five other state schools within a four-hour drive offer majors in art therapy or zookeeping, then your state college probably should cede those particular topics, instead of spending a fortune to accommodate the one or two kids who might be interested.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I think they kept a really tough one in history though.  "The History of Toilet Repairs in America" is a favorite but a lot of people who are unprepared for its difficulty, get flushed.

Plumbers are actually still doing quite well.

[rangerrebew]

Plumbers are actually still doing quite well.

I know.  I said the "HISTORY" of toilet repairs.