In response to a report by The Wall Street Journal detailing the severe enrollment and financial challenges facing Syracuse University, Jeffrey Docking, the president of Adrian College in Michigan, emphasized the need for higher education leaders to strive to lower tuition costs amidst the widespread scrutiny of the nearly $100,000 annual cost of attendance at Syracuse University.
Docking told Fox News, “Whether as university presidents or as institutions, we have a responsibility to ask ourselves: ‘Can we start reversing the trend and gradually reduce the cost for students?’ I believe that if we work together, we can achieve this.”
He stressed that Syracuse University’s situation mirrors the structural crisis faced by higher education across the United States, with many private institutions and numerous regional public universities also grappling with similar issues.
Syracuse University, located in central New York, is burdened with nearly $500 million in debt related to new student housing. However, due to difficulty attracting enough students to cover operational costs, the university also faces a 1.5% budget shortfall.
Juan Tavares, the former director of the Center for International Services at Syracuse University, attributed the university’s woes to its misguided self-perception, stating, “The problem with Syracuse University is that it sees itself as an Ivy League school, but it’s not.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, in 2025, these misperceptions, coupled with the federal government’s strict crackdown on student visas, led to a sharp 50% drop in international student enrollment in undergraduate and graduate programs at Syracuse University. The university also failed to meet its overall enrollment targets, prompting the need to offer emergency financial aid to attract new students.
Amidst increasing skepticism from students and parents regarding the return on investment in a college degree, Syracuse University’s tuition for the current academic year has surged from $40,458 in the 2013-2014 school year to $69,180. When considering housing, meals, fees, and other expenses, the total cost of attendance at the university can reach $98,544.
Meanwhile, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, total U.S. student loan debt has reached $1.65 trillion, escalating alongside rising college tuition fees.
Docking called for a comprehensive “restructuring” of higher education to address this crisis. He stated, “Syracuse University is experiencing the impacts of a perfect storm of factors – declining international student enrollments, people questioning the value of higher education, and decreasing high school graduation rates, especially in northern states.”
He emphasized, “Syracuse University itself is not the issue; it’s a great place and will continue to be. As victims, they serve as a reminder that American higher education needs restructuring in the coming years.”
J. Michael Haynie, Chancellor and President of Syracuse University, acknowledged these shortcomings and advocated for higher education leaders to reassess the value they bring to students and families.
Docking believes that the root cause of skyrocketing tuition lies in low operational efficiency and a closed culture that hinders institutions from collaborating like private enterprises. By implementing faculty sharing through curriculum restructuring and collaboration, schools can avoid the high costs associated with hiring full-time professors.
In conclusion, Docking stated, “Historically, higher education institutions have been inefficient, operating independently without cooperation to reduce costs. To enhance the efficiency of existing institutions, significant efforts are needed to restructure.”
Docking has served as president of Adrian College for over 20 years and has testified before Congress on higher education innovation and cost reduction, garnering headlines. Since taking the helm of Adrian College in 2005, the college has doubled its enrollment numbers. He co-authored the book “Crisis in Higher Education: A Plan to Save Small Liberal Arts Colleges in America.”
He also co-founded Rize Education with collaborators, a course-sharing platform that enables smaller colleges to collaborate in offering online courses without incurring hefty operational costs. Through collaboration with Rize, Adrian College added 27 majors, 13 minors, and 8 certificate programs covering popular fields such as business, technology, engineering, and healthcare.
Docking has been invited to testify before the House Education and Labor Committee in Congress and has helped Adrian College be recognized as one of the most innovative regional universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for three consecutive years.