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If what’s going on in Illinois is an indication of what’s ahead for American higher education overall, it doesn’t bode well.

The state’s universities and colleges are confronting a severe enrollment decline and mounting financial pressures, despite the state spending more per student than almost anywhere else in the country.

Illinois once symbolized access and innovation in learning. Now it is a bellwether for the financial and demographic headwinds reshaping U.S. colleges and universities. From Chicago’s creative institutions to its research powerhouses, Illinois is offering a preview of what’s likely coming for campuses across the country — fewer applicants as the pool of high school graduates shrinks, revenues decline, and doubts gro

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