Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that nearly 100 institutions closed between the 2022–23 and 2023–24 academic years. The report noted that the number of Title IV institutions—those eligible to participate in federal financial aid programs—fell from 5,918 in the 2022–23 academic year to 5,819 in the 2023–24 academic year, a net loss of 99 colleges and universities. While the NCES report illuminated the decline, it did not specify how the sector contracted, making no mention of recent closures or mergers to explain what happened to the institutions that are now defunct.
