Higher education is in a weird, uncomfortable place. If you’ve noticed some beloved majors disappear from college catalogs lately, blame the enrollment cliff. Fewer high school grads are walking across the stage each year, especially in the Midwest, where birth rates have dropped and families are moving south or west. It’s the nightmare facing universities as the pool of high school grads shrinks, thus forcing institutions to make cuts to stay afloat. Schools are scrambling–with some merging, others slashing programs–just to survive. Ohio Northern University (ONU) is no exception, making some tough cuts that, while painful, are honestly necessary.
ONU’s Endowment Compared to Other Local Colleges
Let’s break it down: ONU’s endowment sits at about $200 million, making it relatively well-positioned. Compare that to Bluffton University’s $24.8 million or even University of Findlay’s $52 million. Sure, John Carroll’s got a hefty $300 million endowment, but that’s not the norm here.
President Melissa Baumann has been doing a superhuman job of fundraising since taking office three years ago. She boosted ONU’s endowment and gave the university a solid foundation to weather tough times. ONU’s $200 million endowment has grown 8.17% over the previous year, putting it significantly above the median endowment for baccalaureate colleges, which is around $37 million.
Here’s how ONU stacks up with schools in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and other surrounding colleges:
- John Carroll University: Over $300 million, making it one of the strongest in the region.
- Ohio Northern University: Over $200 million with an 8.17% growth over the previous year.
- Baldwin Wallace University: $176.4 million, a drop of over $5 million from last year.
- Wilmington University: $155 million, down by 2.91%.
- University of Mount Union: $145.9 million.
- Capital University: $125 million.
- Otterbein University: $117 million.
- Muskingum University: $90.1 million.
- Marietta College: $88 million, which dropped by 16.7% last year.
- Heidelberg University: $59.9 million, a 4.45% decrease from the previous year.
- University of Findlay: $52 million, a 6.41% decrease from the previous year.
- Bluffton University: $24.8 million.
Findlay and Bluffton are teaming up to keep their heads above water. These two schools have figured out that survival sometimes means sharing instead of competing.
The enrollment cliff is brutal, especially for small liberal arts schools with limited funds and an ever-shrinking pool of prospective students. By partnering up, Findlay and Bluffton are setting to share resources, cross-register classes, and preserve programs they’d likely have to scrap if they went solo. They’re showing that, in a world where higher ed is strapped for cash, collaboration can be the difference between keeping doors open or closing up shop.
For ONU, that kind of drastic partnership isn’t on the table. But Findlay and Bluffton’s “better together” approach is a sharp reminder that, in the face of the enrollment cliff, colleges either innovate or they perish. The takeaway? Even schools with different cultures and creeds are willing to play nice if it means surviving in an increasingly unforgiving market.
Why These Cuts Make Sense
ONU’s no financial juggernaut, but it’s not on life support either. So why the cuts here? It’s simple: adapt or get left behind.
ONU cut low-enrollment programs like religion, physics, public health, youth ministry, forensic accounting, philosophy, and Spanish–majors that, frankly, just weren’t paying the bills. You might love philosophy, but the job market? Not so much. And ONU knows it’s better to invest in health sciences, engineering, and business–fields with solid job prospects that today’s students actually want. While those programs have their fans, they weren’t pulling in enrollment numbers high enough to justify their costs.
ONU didn’t just cut programs–they streamlined the academic lineup for max impact. By consolidating departments, they’re ditching the fluff and doubling down on interdisciplinary power. It’s not just efficient; it’s a smart move that allows more focus on pouring resources into health, engineering, and business–the popular degrees that get students in seats here at ONU.
Additionally, ONU is waking up to the reality that not everyone can sit in Ada all day. They’re rolling out online and hybrid options to cater to non-traditional students and busy professionals who need flexibility. The new online JD program? It’s a nod to the fact that legal education can–and should–catch up with modern demands.
Yes, the cuts sting, but they’re part of a bigger plan to keep ONU relevant and thriving. By shedding what’s outdated and investing in high-demand programs, ONU is proving it’s got the foresight to stick around. It’s not about surviving; it’s about adapting and securing a future that’s built for the next wave of students, not the last.
So, What’s Next?
Higher ed is in full-on survival mode, and it’s not a slow burn. Schools like ONU are making tough calls now to stay competitive in a shrinking market. Sure, these cuts look harsh, but they’re positioning ONU to bounce back with programs that students actually want and need. Instead of spreading thin, ONU’s putting its energy where it counts–to keep its legacy alive for generations to come.
The “enrollment cliff” isn’t just a scare tactic; it’s a real, looming threat. Schools that don’t make these hard pivots? They’re toast. What feels like a shake-up is actually higher ed’s version of evolution–a pivot toward staying power in a market that’s growing colder by the semester.
By stripping back on less-popular majors and amping up in-demand programs, ONU is looking straight ahead. It’s not just survival; it’s about staying in the game. The harsh reality is, if colleges don’t shape up and start delivering what students (and employers) are after, they’ll be yesterday’s news. Brutal? Maybe. But totally essential.
For students, this means a campus that’s evolving and programs that are smarter and more future-focused. Higher ed feels off-kilter right now, sure–but it’s all part of staying relevant in a world that waits for no one.