Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    An AI-Driven Work Force
    University Transformation
Sign In
Data

Here’s What ‘Back to College’ Looks Like This Fall

By Audrey Williams June September 5, 2023

At most colleges the fall term is underway, and campuses are slipping into the familiar rhythms of a new academic year.

For some institutions, the year ahead shows signs of hope. Johnston Community College, in North Carolina, is celebrating record-breaking enrollment. At the University of North Dakota, recently hired faculty members and administrators learned more about their new home state on a three-day bus tour that stopped at attractions and landmarks in its northern half. And new students everywhere, eager to make connections with their peers, have dozens of highly scheduled Week of Welcome activities behind them.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

At most colleges the fall term is underway, and campuses are slipping into the familiar rhythms of a new academic year.

For some institutions, the year ahead shows signs of hope. Johnston Community College, in North Carolina, is celebrating record-breaking enrollment. At the University of North Dakota, recently hired faculty members and administrators learned more about their new home state on a three-day bus tour that stopped at attractions and landmarks in its northern half. And new students everywhere, eager to make connections with their peers, have dozens of highly scheduled Week of Welcome activities behind them.

At the same time colleges are also navigating thorny issues. This fall they’re preparing for natural disasters, facing lawsuits that stem from canceled classes and activities during pandemic shutdowns, and, tragically, processing yet another incident of gun violence on campus.

It remains unclear how the year ahead will play out. But the data below provide a snapshot of the promise and unexpected challenges of the new academic year.

20%

The increase in the amount families were expected to spend on back-to-college costs in 2023

The total expected spending rose to $94 billion in 2023, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey of back-to-school shopping. That amount is nearly double the total in 2019 — thanks to inflation — and it breaks down to $1,367 per household. More than half of the increase in total back-to-college spending can be attributed to the purchase of big-ticket items, like electronics and furniture, as well as food.

$3.7 million

The average cost of a data breach in the higher-education sector in 2023

According to an annual report from IBM, higher ed had the 11th-highest costs from data breaches out of the 17 sectors tracked. The average reported across all industries: $4.5 million.

Higher ed is a frequent target of cybercriminals. Last month the three-campus University of Michigan system shut down its internet service on the first day of classes amid concerns about a “significant security concern,” officials said. Meanwhile, a growing number of colleges have been named in ransomware class-action lawsuits, following a data breach linked to a file-transfer service whose users include higher-education institutions.

13,000+

The number of City College of San Francisco students whose outstanding fees were paid off so they could re-enroll this fall

For some students at the community college, tuition is free through the city’s Free City College Program. But that doesn’t mean they won’t accrue fees that, if left unpaid, could bar them from enrolling. A fee balance of as little as $10 can derail them.

ADVERTISEMENT

Last month the city of San Francisco began clearing the debts of city residents who attended the college between August 2017 and December 2022. Paying off the fees was made possible with a $2.1-million allocation in the city’s budget and will continue until the money has been applied to all accounts with outstanding balances.

“With this funding, we’ll be able to help a new generation of students transfer to four-year institutions and get job training,” said Alan Wong, president of the college’s Board of Trustees and co-chair of the Free City College oversight committee, in a written statement.

$10,000

The amount of money Middlebury College offered to 30 juniors and seniors to take a leave of absence this fall and winter

During the pandemic, Middlebury allowed students to take leaves of absence, and many of them did so. This fall an overflow of returning students led to an on-campus housing crunch for juniors and seniors. According to federal data, Middlebury’s undergraduate enrollment last fall was 2,773; it’s typically about 2,500 students, the Vermont institution said.

ADVERTISEMENT

So in early August, the college offered 30 juniors or seniors $10,000 each to take time off and start the 2023-24 academic year in February 2024 — after 220 students graduate, more than double the usual number.

The college said undergraduate enrollment should return to normal levels next spring.

7

The number of days that the start of the academic year was delayed at the University of Hawaii’s Maui College

Classes at all colleges in the University of Hawaii system were slated to start on August 21. But once wildfires devastated part of Maui, in early August, the campus there became a key part of efforts to help local residents.

A student lounge was turned into a disaster-recovery center, and another building is operating as a food-preparation hub, where volunteers — including the college’s culinary students — have been preparing meals for both victims and first responders.

A version of this article appeared in the September 15, 2023, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Tags
Data
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
June_Audrey_Williams.jpg
About the Author
Audrey Williams June
Audrey Williams June is the news-data manager at The Chronicle. She explores and analyzes data sets, databases, and records to uncover higher-education trends, insights, and stories. Email her at audrey.june@chronicle.com, or follow her on Twitter @audreywjune.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Illustration showing the logos of Instragram, X, and TikTok being watch by a large digital eyeball
Race against the clock
Could New Social-Media Screening Create a Student-Visa Bottleneck?
Mangan-Censorship-0610.jpg
Academic Freedom
‘A Banner Year for Censorship’: More States Are Restricting Classroom Discussions on Race and Gender
On the day of his retirement party, Bob Morse poses for a portrait in the Washington, D.C., offices of U.S. News and World Report in June 2025. Morse led the magazine's influential and controversial college rankings efforts since its inception in 1988. Michael Theis, The Chronicle.
List Legacy
‘U.S. News’ Rankings Guru, Soon to Retire, Reflects on the Role He’s Played in Higher Ed
Black and white photo of the Morrill Hall building on the University of Minnesota campus with red covering one side.
Finance & operations
U. of Minnesota Tries to Soften the Blow of Tuition Hikes, Budget Cuts With Faculty Benefits

From The Review

A stack of coins falling over. Motion blur. Falling economy concept. Isolated on white.
The Review | Opinion
Will We Get a More Moderate Endowment Tax?
By Phillip Levine
Photo illustration of a classical column built of paper, with colored wires overtaking it like vines of ivy
The Review | Essay
The Latest Awful Ed-Tech Buzzword: “Learnings”
By Kit Nicholls
William F. Buckley, Jr.
The Review | Interview
William F. Buckley Jr. and the Origins of the Battle Against ‘Woke’
By Evan Goldstein

Upcoming Events

07-16-Advising-InsideTrack - forum assets v1_Plain.png
The Evolving Work of College Advising
Plain_Acuity_DurableSkills_VF.png
Why Employers Value ‘Durable’ Skills
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin