U of I isn’t the first to buy a for-profit college. What happened when 3 other schools did

Idaho Statesman

Gabe Barnard

August 22, 2023

The University of Idaho’s plan to purchase the University of Phoenix sparked surprise and public outcry when it was announced one day before approval by the Idaho State Board of Education. But the deal is not unique in the U.S. higher education system.

The purchase resembles a recent wave of transactions and relationships between universities and for-profit entities across the country. Looming over the University of Idaho, and others striking out into the online education industry, is an “enrollment cliff” in higher education. Researchers have forecasted that a decline in birth rates during the Great Recession in 2008 will lead to a dramatic drop in the number of students graduating high school and going to college starting in 2025. And enrollment has already been declining across the country.

“Basically there just aren’t enough kids graduating high school now or in the near future to sustain enrollment growth,” said Michael Moore, vice president of academic affairs for the University of Arkansas System, in a call with the Idaho Statesman.

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