It's starting, schools retaliate

[X-band '01]

This is pretty spot on.

The newer dorms and frat/sorority houses some of these kids live in will be better than the first house they buy. Some of the sorority houses at Alabama I bet would literally sell for $10M+.

But it starts far before that. The level of luxury these kids enjoy at such an early stage of life is crazy. It's literally a parental arms race of one-ups-manship for the best party house, the new $200k pool, the best rented prom after-party house, and the nicest hotels and equipment during sports club seasons. These kids think this is the life norm, and honestly know no different. But I hardly blame them - it's the adults that enabled it all, and the schools are literally taking advantage of it, knowing they will just continue to pay because 1) no one has any principles anymore, and 2) they cannot fathom letting down their precious flower.

The funny thing is, as a dude, I just needed a couch, a tv, a fridge, and a bathroom. Most guys are this way - the kids, especially the boys, don't even care.

I'm living Drudy's dream in that my place is very spartan without a pool, exercise gym, etc.

[Strange Brew]

Well, I lived in Brockman, played basketball and went to the gym in O'Connor and took a bunch of classes in Alter Hall. So it was a lot like being there in the '60s, I'm guessing! Our student center/caf was probably a fancy new building at some point in the '60s.

The old SC opened in ‘67-‘68 as I was told. Tore it down and the new Palace opened in ‘01 if I remember the start of my Senior year correctly.

You should’ve have seen ND in those days. Much, much different now.

[XUGRAD80]

Does anyone have a figure on what % of the student body are commuters and what % are residents?

When I attended in the late 70’s it was decidedly a commuter university.

[JTG]

Does anyone have a figure on what % of the student body are commuters and what % are residents?

When I attended in the late 70’s it was decidedly a commuter university.

I'd say judging from the # of dorms & apts it's probably the opposite.

[bleedXblue]

Kids are mostly going the cheaper route as college education is being mostly devalued at this point. Trades can easily make 100K a year now and their benefits are outstanding. Why pay 40K when you can pay 20K and get the same education? Doesn't make sense. Several posters have nailed it above. Schools have overinvested in housing, grounds, recreational facilities etc and that all comes with a price tag. Xavier (and many other private schools) needs to figure it out quickly. I will never understand why technology isnt being utilized more. Virtual learning (1-2 days a week) can save a student thousands in tuition. The idea that you have to be on campus and in person to learn is ludicrous.

[hoopster68]

Here is an article from today's (May 28) edition of Axios that should concern everyone on this board, all those that care about XU, and high schoolers and recent college grads; https://www.axios.com/2025/05/28/ai-...ment-anthropic Comments?

[GoMuskies]

Here is an article from today's (May 28) edition of Axios that should concern everyone on this board, all those that care about XU, and high schoolers and recent college grads; https://www.axios.com/2025/05/28/ai-...ment-anthropic Comments?

I don't doubt it, but we probably also had the same conversation when we started using cars instead of horse and buggies, computers in the office, and robotics on assembly lines.

This development is the one of the reasons the idea of universal basic income became popular with my guy Andrew Yang a few years back.

[xudash]

There is a difference between deliberately reducing the size of their enrollment (UD) and what is going on at Xavier.

You can put all the lipstick on the pig that you want, and jibber jabber about organizational objectives and whatever other corporate lingo bs, but the fact remains that the problem is the price tag for an average university academically. So, until that’s rectified in a sufficient manner, enrollment and revenue are going to continue to be a problem.

There is very little difference between what is going on at Xavier v UD. UD isn't running budget deficits, but it has to make adjustments - UD has to "deliberately" reduce its enrollment as it also cuts 45 faculty positions and 20 staff positions. It has closed an entire dorm while sunsetting certain academic programs. UD isn't immune from what is going on nationally with respect to the demographic cliff.

Xavier already was in the process of going for a lower yield for the Class of '29. Our focus is on enrolling students that can hack it academically and have the financial fortitude to pay. We didn't make the full number that was targeted, but the group that committed meets the profile we're after, which, again, will help long term with retention. Xavier will continue to right-size itself over this summer as it continues to adjust to this new reality and to this year's situation, in particular.

I guess I'll continue to jibber jabber with some information for you about your "average university academically" - even though this information has already been shared here:

"Xavier placed at No. 39 for the undergraduate teaching category for national universities, a 15-spot rise from the previous year. The University was one of only 10 institutions to rise as many spots in the category." That was the USN&WR 2024 ranking. We tied with schools like Cornell, Texas and some Big Ten schools.

Four undergraduate business programs ranked within the top 40 nationally in their respective categories in the 2024 ranking:

- Analytics: No. 21
- Entrepreneurship: No. 22
- Finance: No. 40
- Marketing: No. 32

"Xavier also features several elite academic programs, including pre-med programs that lead more than 85% of graduates to be accepted into medical school, compared to the national average of only 40%."

Ranking services are what they are - some decimal point metric dropped us off top 70 teaching list for 2025 - but this information is telling enough.

HOOPSTER68, all I can tell you is that we're after academically qualified kids who have the financial fortitude to pay. There is a very specific recruiting strategy in place to attract those kids. There are very choppy waters ahead. We'll see how it goes, but "management" is confident in their plan for the school moving forward.

[hoopster68]

Dash: What does "financial fortitude" mean? And, "'management'" is confident in their plan for the school moving forward." This same "management" just had a decline of nearly one-fifth in frosh. . .how are these same people moving XU forward? Sorry, this is very, very bad. How big will the deficit be in the current FY? How about the next FY? It seems to me the administration and board are both complicit in this situation. Clear, definitive plans need to be put in place & made public or XU's reputation will be quickly eroded. Any further downgrade in bonds will be seen as horrendous.

[xubrew]

College is supposed to be somewhere you go mostly to learn but to also meet a buncn of new people in the same phase of life. You're supposed to live in shitty dorms/apartments, you're supposed to drink shitty keg beer on the wekends, you're supposed to eat cheap, shitty food, and you're supposed to work out and play rec baskeball in a shitty, hot, sweaty gym. Then you get a job and actually enjoy/appreciate the better things in life. You're not supposed to have nice things in college unless your parents are visiting for the weekend.

But this isn't the model anymore, and it costs an arm and a leg as a result.

Well said. All the way around. And it does cost an arm and a leg, and more and more people seem to be deciding that it’s not worth the return on their investment. Fewer can afford the rising costs, and of the ones that can they question if it’s worth it. There are far less expensive options.