Higher Education - The Atlantic

Higher Education

The Looming College-Enrollment Death Spiral

Jeffrey Selingo

April 12, 2026

Illustration of spiraling graduation caps

Is Schoolwork Optional Now?

April 10, 2026

An illustration of code in the shape of a school desk.

What an Ivy League Education Really Gets You

April 4, 2026

A photo of graduates lined up in red and black graduation robes.

Young People Are Falling Behind, but Not Because of AI

April 2, 2026

An array of circular metal gears turning with some of the gear slots replaced with black-and-white photographs of people

The Shot That Killed Duke but Saved March Madness

April 1, 2026

A collage of players and coaches from this year’s men’s-college-basketball tournament

The Shocking Speed of China’s Scientific Rise

March 27, 2026

Illustration of the national flag of China, but with the yellow stars rearranged on an atomic symbol

Where Are All the Campus Protests?

March 25, 2026

A black-and-white image of protester encampments on the Columbia University lawn.

The College-Educated Working Class

April 2026 Issue

illustration of workers sitting on skyscraper beam, with 8 men and women in college graduation caps, workwear, and gloves

Trump’s Assault on Higher Education Has Hit a Snag

March 10, 2026

Red-tinted picture of Donald Trump, barely visible under some test papers.

A Never-Ending Conspiracy Theory in Remote Alaska

Kaitlyn Tiffany

March 10, 2026

Collage illustration of various weather phenomena with a hypnotic, conspiracy-tinged vibe.

Don’t Call It ‘Intelligence’

March 5, 2026

Illustration of hands united by a web of threads

What $1 Million of Anti-Racist Leadership Training Buys You

Tyler Austin Harper

February 28, 2026

photo illustration of columns

Atlantic Trivia on Rainbows, Candy, and Alien Invasions

February 27, 2026

Illustration of a magnifying glass

Young Men Aren’t the Only Ones Struggling

February 23, 2026

illustration showing blurry face of a woman

The Worst-Case Future for White-Collar Workers

February 18, 2026

An illustration of office workers' multicolored abstract silhouettes chatting around a water cooler against a blue background.

The Harvard of the South … Of the West?

February 18, 2026

Illustration of a black silhouette wearing a graduation cap that has a blue and red top labeled “W” and “E” like a compass.

The Republicans Made Peace With Science

Alexander Furnas and Dashun Wang

February 17, 2026

Illustration of a chemistry flask with stacks of gold coins inside it

First Jobs Matter More Than We Think

February 13, 2026

An office desk sits on a pillar high up in the clouds.

The Multibillion-Dollar Foundation That Controls the Humanities

Tyler Austin Harper

March 2026 Issue

Pete Hegseth’s Attack on Harvard

February 9, 2026

Pete Hegseth talks behind microphones while he makes a fist with his right hand

Let Your Kids Fail

February 4, 2026

Photo illustration of a toy-size chair and desk; on top of the desk is a white piece of paper and a red circled F

Stop Meeting Students Where They Are

February 2, 2026

A miniature statue of a muscular man standing on an old tattered book, lifting a page as if struggling, with an orange backdrop

The Writer’s Magic Trick

January 30, 2026

A painting of three faceless figures

The Film Students Who Can No Longer Sit Through Films

January 30, 2026

Person watching movie on IPhone.

The Accidental Winners of the War on Higher Ed

January 29, 2026

A stained-glass window depicting the Amherst College seal

Colleges Are Stuck Between Bad Options for Fighting Hateful Ideas

Conor Friedersdorf

January 26, 2026

A college campus

Defund Science, Distort Culture, Mock Education

January 23, 2026

A section of a brain, shaped like the United States, falls from the pedestal holding it up.

The End of the Underdog in College Football

Keith O’Brien

January 17, 2026

An image of Indiana Hoosiers Coach Curt Cignetti scowling from the sidelines.

The College Backlash Is a Mirage

January 5, 2026

Illustration on a yellow background of purple bars increasing in height with a graduation cap atop the tallest bar and an arrow pointing upwards as the bars grow

The Trump Administration’s Most Paralyzing Blow to Science

Katherine J. Wu

December 30, 2025

a black and white image of a hand holding a small red flask

The Slow, Inevitable Death of the Bowl Game

Keith O’Brien

December 28, 2025

football player trying to catch a large number of falling bowl game trophies

‘It’s Very Controversial, but I Love Nick Fuentes’

December 22, 2025

An image of a Charlie Kirk mural at AmericaFest, Turning Point USA's annual gathering

The Entry-Level Hiring Process Is Breaking Down

December 16, 2025

Broken ladders leaning on a leather briefcase

First We Grieve

Megan L. Ranney

December 15, 2025

A Providence Police officer, framed by a doorway

Stop Trying to Make the Humanities ‘Relevant’

Thomas Chatterton Williams

December 14, 2025

A close-up image of a statue, showing a pair of hands holding a book

The Real Reason for the Hong Kong Fire

Timothy McLaughlin

December 13, 2025

A photo of charred towers in Hong Kong