Headlines in Higher Ed: Week of September 3rd, 2025
A post-holiday weekend roundup of the latest college rankings, govt proposal to limit intl stay, and rising mental health reports
New College Rankings Are In
As college application season gets underway and high school seniors narrow their lists, the latest rankings are arriving just in time to help. Forbes has just released its 2025 list of the top 500 colleges in the U.S., based on undergraduate student outcomes, including things like post-graduation earnings, student satisfaction, graduation rates, and debt levels. At the top this year is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where grads earn a median salary of over $110,000 just three years after finishing their degrees. MIT also earns top spot in Niche.com’s ranking, which focuses on “rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data” and “millions of reviews from students and alumni.” Schools appearing in both top ten lists are limited to Harvard, Stanford, and Yale, signaling the degree to which they differ.
Janet Novack, Forbes Staff Writer
This year’s rankings come at a time of major political and financial pressure on higher education. From student loan changes to cuts in research funding and limits on international student visas, colleges are under stress, but many schools are still delivering exceptional value. While these rankings can be a helpful guide, cost, fit, and support systems matter even more than name recognition. Forbes has also broken down smaller lists to help make targeted choices like top public colleges, small colleges, and best payoff. Similarly, Niche provides specific rankings for top value or campuses, alongside academically-focused lists like best for business majors.
Rapid Recap
🚫 Justice Dept. Says No to Hispanic-Serving College Grants The DOJ said it agrees with a lawsuit against a program for Hispanic-serving colleges, which allocated grants to schools with over 25% Latino students since 1998, arguing that funding based on ethnicity is unconstitutional.
📈 Columbia Breaks Freshman Record Despite Trump Crackdown Admitting a record 1,800+ students this year, partly by accepting more students from its waitlist than typical, Columbia University has overcome fears that political pressure would hurt enrollment.
🤖 AI Use Plummets When School’s Out ChatGPT usage drops sharply in the summer, as shown in an analysis by OpenRouter, revealing just how tied AI use is to academic life.
🌏 Proposal to Cap International Students to 4 Years The Trump administration released a proposal to limit how long international students can stay in the U.S., capping student visas at four years. Go on…
Proposal to Cap International Students to 4 Years
The Trump administration released a proposal to limit how long international students can stay in the U.S., capping student visas at four years. If passed, the rule would replace a decades-old policy called “duration of status,” which currently allows students to remain in the country as long as they’re enrolled in school. Students needing more time would have to apply for visa extensions and pass additional reviews by the Department of Homeland Security. The agency claims this change would help prevent “forever students” who stay enrolled just to avoid leaving the country. Critics say the proposal would create serious administrative barriers and discourage international students from choosing the U.S. for their education. Since Trump took office, over 6,000 student visas have been revoked, and other recent policies have already made it harder to attend. International students make up about 6% of the total college population, which experts fear will fall sharply if the proposed rule is adopted.
Half of College Students Disclose Mental Health Struggles
A new survey reveals that half of college students rate their mental health as fair, poor, or terrible, and it’s affecting their ability to stay in school. The pressure to keep up, combined with feelings of isolation and the struggle to find their place in a new phase of life, has left many overwhelmed. Nearly 40% are extremely stressed about managing their mental well-being, and many are thinking about dropping out, transferring, or taking fewer classes. For some, the challenges run even deeper, with experiences of discrimination adding to the weight. Many students reported trouble sleeping, focusing, or even feeling like they belonged. While awareness of campus mental health resources is rising, experts say that more action is needed to create inclusive, supportive environments.
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