番茄视频

As application deadlines for fall 2026 Ph.D. programs approach, the mood across higher education feels heavier than usual. Normally, this time of year brings a mix of excitement and nerves. Students are finalizing statements of purpose, mentors are writing recommendation letters and programs are preparing to welcome a new group of scholars. But this year feels different. 

Recent headlines from some of the country鈥檚 top colleges and universities signal major changes ahead. According to a recent, the University of Chicago has announced that it is pausing admissions for 19 doctoral programs for the 2026鈥�2027 academic year and plans to reduce the number of fully funded Ph.D. students by 30% by 2030. Yale anticipates a 12% drop in graduate enrollment in the humanities and social sciences. Brown and Cornell are also reducing class sizes, with some departments pausing admissions altogether. 

For a community already stretched thin, these aren鈥檛 minor adjustments. They reflect a larger shift that exposes the fragility of a system that has long been central to how we create knowledge, train faculty and build future leaders. 

The Financial and Policy Pressures Mounting Beneath the Surface 

In August, the University of Chicago released a that summarized the challenges faced by many other institutions. The report pointed to a growing structural deficit and what the provost described as 鈥渙ngoing uncertainty in the federal landscape.鈥� 

That uncertainty comes from several directions. Federal research funding, which many doctoral programs rely on, has been disrupted by policy proposals that would limit how much colleges and universities can recover in indirect costs for federally funded research. These funds typically support graduate education through lab space, libraries, and stipends for teaching and research assistants. 

According to, these funding changes, combined with new Trump-era endowment tax policies, have led many institutions to reassess their admissions plans as deadlines approach. At Yale, the endowment tax is increasing from 1.4% to 8%, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue each year. The consequences are clear and painful, with fewer funded Ph.D. degree spots, fewer fellowships and smaller incoming cohorts. 

International students, who make up more than half of Ph.D. graduates in engineering, math and computer science, face additional obstacles. Visa delays, growing uncertainty and a proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee have led many to reconsider American programs. The result could be smaller applicant pools, especially in STEM fields, and fewer international perspectives in U.S. research. 

Adding to the strain, the federal GRAD Plus loan program is ending, and new limits on graduate student borrowing will soon take effect. For years, these loans served as a safety net for students whose stipends or scholarships didn鈥檛 cover the full cost of attendance. Without them, even students in fully funded programs may struggle to pay basic living expenses. 

Doctoral program cuts and graduate school uncertainty highlight the growing challenge of affording graduate education and underscores the need for innovative, sustainable approaches to the cost of doctoral education. 

The Human Side of the Crisis 

For colleges and universities, these decisions often make sense on paper, focusing on budgets, sustainability and resource management. For students hoping to earn a doctorate, however, the impact is deeply personal. 

Imagine spending years preparing for doctoral study by doing undergraduate research, earning a master鈥檚 degree and presenting at conferences, only to discover that the program you were aiming for no longer exists or that the cohort has been cut in half. For many, this year鈥檚 headlines mean deferrals, rejections or the painful choice to step away from career goals altogether. 

The ripple effects extend beyond individual disappointment. When doctoral admissions shrink, the entire higher education ecosystem shifts. Fewer Ph.D. students means fewer teaching assistants, fewer early-career researchers, and fewer graduates moving into faculty and leadership positions. Over time, this can slow research output and reduce the diversity of voices shaping academic discussions. 

A System at a Crossroads 

Doctoral degree programs have long been expensive and, in many ways, unequal. The traditional model assumes students can dedicate five to seven years to full-time study, often living on modest stipends that barely cover basic expenses. For many, that expectation is unrealistic. 

Working adults, parents and first-generation students cannot easily pause their lives to relocate or live on a limited income for extended periods, and rising costs in college towns make the challenge even more daunting. Programs that pause admissions or reduce cohorts only exacerbate these barriers, limiting doctoral education accessibility not because of talent or motivation, but due to structural and financial constraints. 

This moment represents a crisis of opportunity. Doctoral education is where breakthroughs occur, training the teachers who shape the next generation, the researchers who push the boundaries of knowledge and the leaders who bring evidence-based thinking into society. When access to this education diminishes, so does our collective capacity for progress. Yet, even in this time of strain, there is an opportunity to rethink and reimagine what doctoral education could be, making it more accessible, equitable and sustainable for the students and society it serves. 

Rethinking What Doctoral Education Could Be 

If the old model no longer fits, what could a new one look like? Over the past decade, more colleges and universities, including 番茄视频 (ACE), have explored alternative paths to the doctorate and affordable Ph.D. alternatives. These programs do not follow the traditional residential Ph.D. model. Instead, they approach doctoral learning as flexible, practical and affordable, connecting research directly to professional practice. 

At ACE, for example, doctor of education (Ed.D.) programs are entirely online, with tuition kept under $25,000 for the full degree.* This affordability works because the college runs efficiently without the overhead of large campuses while maintaining accreditation and strong academic standards. These programs reflect what many prospective students now seek: Low-cost doctoral programs that remain high in quality. 

Online doctoral programs are transforming higher education accessibility and graduate education affordability by integrating technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, online proctoring and rigorous coursework while maintaining academic standards and offering greater flexibility. These innovations are expanding learning opportunities for students globally. 

Creating affordable online doctoral programs isn鈥檛 the biggest innovation, however. It鈥檚 the structure of those programs.

Institutions like ACE offer doctoral programs for working professionals, where students can continue working full-time, apply what they are learning immediately and focus on research that matters in their fields. Faculty act as both scholars and mentors who understand the realities of balancing doctoral study with professional life. For many, flexible doctoral programs make the difference between pursuing a doctorate and abandoning the idea entirely. 

Innovation in an Age of Contraction 

Online and hybrid doctoral programs are not intended to replace traditional Ph.D.s. They serve a different but equally important role, expanding who can participate in advanced education and what that education can look like. 

While online education is often assumed to be cheaper, many traditional universities charge tuition comparable to on-campus programs for online degrees, sometimes including fees for services students never use. This contributes to the national student debt crisis, as students pay high costs for programs not designed for remote learning. 

In contrast, ACE offers fully online, affordable and accredited programs built specifically for remote students, with transparent pricing and strong returns on investment. ACE鈥檚 approach enables students to earn degrees without incurring unnecessary costs, emphasizing practical, high-quality instruction and favorable financial outcomes. We not only have a baseline low tuition for our doctoral programs, but we also offer scholarships and grants, employer partnerships, and flexible payment plans to make online Ed.D. degrees accessible without students needing to incur additional debt.鈥� 

Flexible Ed.D. programs also offer lessons for the broader higher education sector. When budgets are tight, universities often scale back programs. But innovation in delivery, design and cost may be a smarter, more sustainable path than contraction. 

• Fully online programs reduce overhead and remove geographic barriers. 

• Competency-based assessments can shorten the time to completion. 

• Employer partnerships connect research to real-world challenges. 

• Applied, community-centered inquiry makes doctoral work more immediately relevant and impactful. 

These approaches do not replace traditional research doctorates. They coexist alongside them, creating a more flexible and inclusive system of doctoral education that recognizes different kinds of students and the many ways knowledge can be created and applied. 

The Stakes for Higher Education 

If access to doctoral programs continues to shrink, the impact will extend far beyond higher education. Sectors such as healthcare, technology and public administration rely on advanced expertise. A smaller doctoral pipeline means fewer college-level teachers, fewer researchers tackling global challenges and fewer leaders equipped to navigate complex systems. 

Society鈥檚 need for advanced thinkers has never been greater. From artificial intelligence (AI) and climate change to education reform and healthcare innovation, the challenges we face demand people who can integrate research, ethics and leadership. 

Having spent most of my career in and around doctoral education, I have witnessed both its magic and its strain. I have seen the thrill of a dissertation coming together, the pride of graduation and the transformative power of mentorship. I have also seen financial sacrifices, burnout and doctoral students stepping away when the system fails to fit their lives.

Announcements from institutions like the University of Chicago and Yale underscore the stakes, but they also highlight the resilience of higher education. When one model struggles, new ones can emerge. Innovations such as online learning, applied research doctorates and flexible program structures preserve the best of doctoral education while removing barriers that have kept it out of reach for too many people. 

A doctorate is more than a credential. It represents a commitment to curiosity, rigor and service and equips individuals to ask better questions and lead with evidence. Learning of this kind should not be limited to a small group who can afford the time and cost, but should be available to anyone with the drive to make a difference. 

The future of doctoral education will belong to institutions that keep the door open, embrace innovation, value affordability and measure success by impact rather than exclusivity. For some institutions, this requires experimenting with new delivery models. For others, it calls for rethinking the intersection of research and practice. For all of us, it requires a recommitment to the principle that advanced learning should expand opportunity and not restrict it. 

A Hopeful Path Forward 

The coming years will test the adaptability of higher education. Financial pressures are real, and policy shifts are significant. History shows, however, that times of strain often spark the most meaningful change. 

We can respond by retreating, or we can use this moment to innovate, collaborate and widen the path for future scholars. AI is already reshaping higher education by enabling personalized learning, enhancing engagement, and supporting faculty and administrators in more efficient, impactful ways. Adaptive platforms and AI-powered assistants provide students with tailored support, while immersive tools, such as virtual labs and augmented reality experiences, expand opportunities for hands-on, accessible learning. 

Thoughtful integration of AI, paired with robust ethical safeguards and inclusive policies, can empower institutions to close equity gaps and foster more engaging and dynamic learning environments. As AI continues to evolve, higher education is poised to become more innovative, student-centered and equipped to prepare learners for a rapidly changing future. 

ACE demonstrates one way this can happen, offering affordable, flexible and accredited online doctoral programs that make advanced education accessible to working professionals. More broadly, this is a call to every institution to rethink what stable doctoral programs and access means in the twenty-first century. As doctoral doors close in some places, others must find ways to open new ones. 

番茄视频 offers low-cost doctoral degrees designed for working professionals to achieve advanced leadership in their fields without compromising their busy schedules. Explore our online doctoral degrees today. 

*This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program, receipt of institutional scholarship and/or grant amounts, or adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section. State sales and use tax鈥痺ill鈥痑pply where required by law.