Emma Whitford

East Coast United States

Senior Reporter at Forbes

Covering education for @Forbes. Formerly @insidehighered, @politico and @StOlaf Ole. Infrequent tweeter—reach me at ewhitford@forbes dot com.

Articles

48 Great Colleges Here And Abroad That Are Still Accepting Applications

1 week ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

The traditional May 1 decision deadline has come and gone, but it’s not too late to find a college match—here are dozens of excellent schools still seeking students for the upcoming fall semester. It’s been getting worse every year. For a variety of reasons, elite college admissions are becoming an impossible dream—even for perfect students. Today, 19 of 20 applications submitted to nearly all of the schools in the Ivy League are rejected. But the super elite aren’t alone.
These Colleges Are At Risk As Congress Takes Aim At Endowments

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

It’s not just Harvard that will pay. As Republicans hunt for revenues, the tax on private college endowments could be raised and broadened. We found 127 schools that might be vulnerable. Aspart of his battle with Harvard University, President Donald Trump has suggested that the Internal Revenue Service could yank the school’s tax exemption—a dramatic move that lawyers say likely won’t hold up in court.
Demystifying College Accreditors, Trump’s Latest Higher Education Target

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

In one of his recent sweeping executive orders on education, President Donald Trump took aim at the longstanding, but little known, quality-assurance agencies for American higher education: accreditors. Any college worth enrolling at must be accredited by an independent, federally recognized accrediting agency. The agencies require schools to adhere to a set of standards, which cover everything from fiscal soundness to faculty qualifications and academic rigor.
Trump Visa Crackdown Upends International Student Consultant Business

3 weeks ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

As the Trump administration arbitrarily revokes and denies student visas, and xenophobic rhetoric scares away potential foreigners, agencies specializing in recruiting students from abroad are facing a sharp downturn.
39 Colleges That Can Afford To Resist Trump’s Demands

4 weeks ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

The president has frozen federal research funding for a host of American colleges and universities—even issuing specific demands of some top schools in exchange for federal dollars. These 39 institutions have the wherewithal to join Harvard in its resistance to Trump’s assault.
Trump’s Assault On Higher Ed Will Likely Mean Budget Cuts And Tuition Increases

1 month ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

The Trump administration’s ongoing assault on American higher education has all but guaranteed one thing: college students and their parents will now get less—fewer faculty, research opportunities, student services and amenities—for the same (or higher) price. Trump’s slash-and-burn approach has hurt nearly every college revenue stream. The vicious crackdown on foreign student visas will curb international student enrollment and the vital tuition revenue those students provide.
Harvard, Princeton And Others Seek Billions In Bonds To Protect Against Trump’s Funding Freezes

1 month ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

As the Trump administration strips away federal funding for research, America’s wealthiest colleges, including Harvard and Princeton, are borrowing billions to maintain status quo operations short-term. Colleges and universities issued $11.6 billion in municipal bonds in Q1 of 2025, making it the highest quarter on record for the higher education municipal bond market, says Lisa Washburn, managing director at Municipal Market Analytics. Last year, Q1 issuances totaled $7.9 billion.
Suddenly Colleges With Big Foreign Student Populations Face Existential Risk

1 month ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

While the Trump administration continues its assault on elite colleges like Columbia University and Harvard, smaller, lesser known institutions that have thrived in part by attracting students from outside the United States gird themselves for an uncertain future.
20 Great Colleges Employers Love

1 month ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

20 Great Colleges Employers Love In 2025It’s impossible to ignore the mounting criticisms of America’s most exclusive colleges. These 20 schools—10 public and 10 private—are stepping up to educate the country’s brightest students and graduating the talent employers seek. President Donald Trump’s attack on what he and others insist is a “woke” epidemic infecting the nation’s higher education system has turned the Ivy League and other elite colleges into pariahs.
Forbes 2025 College Financial Grades: How We Calculate GPAs

2 months ago | forbes.com | Emma Whitford

The landscape is rapidly shifting for America’s colleges and universities, many of which were already on shaky ground. Forbes analyzed the financial health of 868 private colleges. Below are the details of our methodology. By Emma Whitford and Matt Schifrin, Forbes StaffForbes College Financial Grades are designed to assess a private not-for-profit college’s operational soundness and balance sheet health using the following nine measures (Click here for the full ranking).