National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Report Financing Institutions Higher Education

An insightful, wide-ranging analysis of the economic hurdles facing America’s higher education system. The US higher education sector faces numerous economic challenges, including the stagnating number of college-age domestic students, geographic mismatch between population growth and the location of colleges and universities, financial pressures, including cutbacks in government support, growing student debt burdens, sticker prices that deter prospective applicants, and the risk of low capital market returns on endowment portfolios. This volume analyzes the responses of students, families, and the financial managers of higher education institutions to these challenges. It presents new insights into the substantial disparities in the financial structure of, and the financial challenges facing, different types of institutions. The volume draws together contributions from financial economics, public finance, and industrial organization, as well as the economics of education.