Are small town colleges going extinct?

The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book serves as the foundation for the "Beigey Awards," highlighting regional economic trends through anecdotal evidence. Recent reports reveal a shift in labor expectations, with job candidates in some regions demanding "San Francisco wages." Meanwhile, tax policies in New York are influencing real estate markets, driving luxury property buyers toward the rental sector. The most significant economic pressure centers on the higher education sector, where declining enrollment, demographic shifts, and rising tuition costs are forcing colleges to trim headcounts or close entirely. These closures disproportionately impact small towns that rely on universities as primary employers. As institutions struggle to compete with expensive amenities and new facilities, the resulting financial instability leaves students and faculty in precarious positions, signaling a broader, pessimistic outlook for the future of traditional four-year degree programs.