Understanding the University of Iowa's Push to Eliminate Low-Enrollment Degrees

The University of Iowa (UI), a flagship public institution in the United States, has proposed the closure of seven degree programs amid ongoing efforts to align academic offerings with student demand and workforce needs. This move stems from a state-mandated review by the Iowa Board of Regents, which identified programs falling below established enrollment thresholds. With total undergraduate enrollment pressures mounting across Iowa's public universities, UI's decision reflects broader challenges in higher education, where sustainability and relevance drive programmatic changes.

Current students in these majors will be allowed to complete their degrees, and key courses will persist to support minors, certificates, electives, and general education requirements. This approach aims to preserve educational access without abrupt disruptions.

The Specific Programs Targeted for Closure

The six undergraduate majors and one master's program recommended for elimination all house fewer than 25 undergraduates or 10 graduates, per fall 2025 data. Here's the breakdown:

• African American Studies, Bachelor of Arts (9 majors enrolled)
• Applied Physics, Bachelor of Science (8 majors enrolled)
• Classical Languages, Bachelor of Arts (14 majors enrolled)
• Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies, Bachelor of Arts (12 majors enrolled)
• Italian, Bachelor of Arts (12 majors enrolled)
• Russian, Bachelor of Arts (10 majors enrolled)

Additionally, the Master of Arts in African American World Studies has zero enrolled students. These programs, primarily in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), have seen declining or persistently low numbers over the past decade, often dipping below 15-20 students.

In parallel, UI proposes shuttering two academic units: the African American Studies program and the Department of Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies. Faculty with joint appointments will transition to other departments, ensuring expertise remains available.

Behind the Decision: Low Enrollment and Workforce Alignment

UI Provost and Executive Vice President Kevin Kregel emphasized that these programs' "declining and consistently lower enrollments over the past decade—often fewer than 15 to 20 students—make it difficult to sustain the faculty resources needed for a viable program." The review considered factors like long-term trends, licensure needs, support for interdisciplinary studies, and Iowa's job market demands.

The Iowa Board of Regents' 2025 Workforce Alignment Review of Programs Report set clear benchmarks: 25 students for undergraduate majors and 10 for graduate programs. This dashboard tool helps students compare post-graduation earnings, revealing that 75% of degree completers in state university majors out-earn non-degree holders in similar roles within three years. UI evaluated 29 low-threshold programs but spared others, like French (now 31 students after faculty initiatives) and Religious Studies (merging with Classics by fall 2026).

Since 2015, the Regents have approved closing 37 UI programs, often for reorganization and efficiency—a trend accelerating amid demographic shifts and the looming "enrollment cliff," projected to reduce U.S. college-age students by 13% through 2041.

The Approval Process and Timeline

Initiated by the Regents' November 2025 report, UI's Provost Office conducted an internal assessment. The proposals now advance to the Council of Provosts, then the Regents' Academic Affairs Committee, culminating in a potential vote at the April 2026 meeting. If approved, closures would phase in post-current academic year, with teach-outs for enrolled students.

This structured governance ensures transparency, shared input from faculty senates, and alignment with state priorities. Similar processes are underway at Iowa State University (ISU) and University of Northern Iowa (UNI), where UNI has already merged or terminated nine programs like anthropology and textiles.

Reactions from Students, Alumni, and Faculty

Not all view the cuts favorably. Alumni like Cristina Ortiz decry them as an "attack on intellectual freedom," arguing public universities must offer diverse disciplines beyond enrollment metrics. For Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS), Ortiz noted its role in fostering community and equipping students to analyze power dynamics in issues like the Epstein files.

A Daily Iowan opinion piece lamented the African American Studies closure as a "gut-wrenching loss," highlighting its irreplaceable contributions to Black history education amid K-12 gaps and political climates hostile to such scholarship. Critics fear broader erosion of liberal arts, echoing closures at other U.S. institutions.

University leaders counter that intellectual vitality persists through minors and cross-listed courses, prioritizing resource allocation for high-demand fields.

Photo by Donghun Shin on Unsplash

Impacts on the University Community

For the roughly 65 affected majors, transitions involve switching to related programs or completing degrees uninterrupted. Faculty reassignments minimize layoffs, focusing administrative streamlining. No minors or certificates end, preserving access to specialized knowledge.

UI's overall enrollment climbed slightly in fall 2025, buoyed by record 31,000+ first-year applications, but humanities face steeper declines amid national trends—undergrad enrollment up just 1.2% while K-12 pipelines shrink. Iowa's public schools lost 14,000 K-12 students recently, signaling future pressures.

Prospective students eyeing liberal arts should explore Rate My Professor for instructor insights in surviving programs.

Iowa's Public Universities in Sync: ISU and UNI Actions

UI's peers are aligning similarly. UNI terminated five programs (e.g., MA in teaching English, industrial math PSM) and merged others like political science-criminology. ISU's faculty reports, due February 27, 2026, flag up to 10 for change. This coordinated response addresses state budget strains and retention issues, with UI posting Iowa's lowest post-grad stay rates.

Regents' revenue efficiency study, launched December 2025, eyes further optimizations via consulting.

National Trends: Program Cuts as Higher Ed Adapts

UI joins states like Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Florida mandating low-enrollment cuts—Ohio/Indiana laws enforce thresholds. U.S. closures/mergers rise, with 4.6 colleges potentially shuttering yearly if trends hold, impacting 7,300+ students. Moody's predicts 3.5% revenue growth in 2026, down from 3.8%, amid the enrollment cliff.

Liberals arts bear brunt, but strategic mergers sustain offerings. For career navigators, higher ed career advice resources highlight transferable skills from these fields.

Preserving Value: Minors, Courses, and Alternatives

• Minors in African American Studies, GWSS, languages persist.
• Courses cross-list for history, music, physics electives.
• Certificates and gen ed options unchanged.
• Mergers like Religious Studies-Classics boost viability.

Students can pivot to robust programs; faculty expertise endures via joint roles. This model balances cuts with continuity.

Future Outlook: Workforce Focus and Opportunities

Post-approval, UI reallocates to growing areas like nursing, business—fields with strong job prospects. Iowa's dashboard aids choices, projecting earnings advantages.Explore Regents' workforce tools

For those in transition, higher ed jobs and university jobs listings offer paths forward. Amid national fiscal squeezes, such reviews promote resilience.

Photo by Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra on Unsplash

What This Means for Aspiring Students and Professionals

Prospective UI undergrads should prioritize high-enrollment majors while supplementing with minors. Faculty seeking stability might eye faculty positions elsewhere. AcademicJobs.com positions UI—and higher ed broadly—as evolving to meet real-world demands, blending tradition with pragmatism. Check Rate My Professor for program vibes, and career advice for pivots. Engaging these changes head-on equips tomorrow's leaders.