Rural colleges—which include community colleges, religious and other private liberal arts colleges, branch campuses of public universities, and tribally controlled colleges—play a key role in providing an affordable and accessible entry point into higher education in communities that need them the most. 

This video explains how researchers and policymakers define rural colleges, as well as why it is important to support these institutions.

Stackable and alternative credentials are gaining popularity and growing in use as today's learners demand more flexible, relevant educational pathways.

In this interview, higher-ed thought leaders discuss whether traditional colleges and universities will adapt their curricula and their delivery models to supplement degrees with certificates and short-term credentials—and what may happen to those that don't.

Photo: Tim Evans/MPR News

As administrators at Columbia University continue to negotiate with pro-Palestinian student protesters, similar demonstrations are spreading and intensifying to more than a dozen schools across the country. 

The Israel-Hamas war has become a major flashpoint at colleges and universities, many of which are now grappling with how to balance free speech protections with student safety at a moment of rising antisemitism and Islamophobia.