Education Department Proposes New Study of College Program Closures

The U.S. Department of Education has proposed a new study of how and why colleges close or suspend academic programs, opening a 60-day public comment period through December 14, 2026, under an information collection notice published October 14 in the Federal Register (docket ED-2026-SCC-3070).

The study, titled “IHE Considerations Around Program Closure: How External Pressures and Internal Policies Shape Decision Making,” would be conducted by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). It aims to identify factors associated with program closure and suspension at institutions of higher education (IHEs) and to document how institutional governance and human-resources policies shape those decisions.

The notice describes combining existing data with two new collections: a national survey of institutions that appear to have closed or suspended programs since 2022, and structured interviews with institutional leaders. The department estimates 2,160 annual responses and 384 burden hours, and lists the request as a new collection (control number 1850-NEW).

For Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IR/IE) offices, the proposal is notable on two counts: IR/IE staff are frequently the ones who would assemble program-level data and respond to such a survey, and the findings could shape how institutions and policymakers understand program review and closure. Comments may be submitted through Regulations.gov under docket ED-2026-SCC-3070.