Pathways and Profit Centers

This Inside Higher Ed article on "redesigning the path to a degree" covers transfer consortiums, apprenticeship-to-credit programs, and colleges rethinking how trades and degrees fit together. In fairness, it's a forward-thinking compilation of tactics, but it's worth noting that versions of this pathway building have existed for years in schools and colleges of of continuing & professional studies.

Private universities (particularly mid-tier tuition-dependent privates) have generally been slow to see the opportunity here, but there are impressive exceptions. These are the privates that lead with their selectivity and their residential experience while supporting the units on their campuses that are built for non-traditional part-time students; providing flexibility, access, and meeting students where they are. A few examples to take note of are Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies, Georgetown University's School of Continuing Studies, and Boston University's Metropolitan College.

There are a lot of mid-tier, tuition-dependent private universities watching from the sidelines. The playbook isn't a secret and it's not new. Institutions like Northeastern, Georgetown, and Boston built durable PCE/O units and deliberately diversified their revenue streams by treating continuing and professional education as a core strategic asset rather than an afterthought. For mid-tier tuition-dependent privates facing enrollment pressure, thinner margins, and budget deficits, the smart move is not to deconstruct their PCE/O units because of institutional ignorance and myopic vision. Now is the critical moment for these privates to look closely at their peers and invest in their schools and colleges of professional and continuing education while there's still space in the market.