As Colleges Close, Elite Schools Thrive

Citing high inflation and falling enrollment, a number of U.S. colleges are set to close in 2023. So far, Presentation College in South Dakota, Cazenovia College in New York, Holy Names University in California, and Living Arts College in North Carolina have announced they will shut down after the current academic year.

美國許多大學以高通膨和入學率下降為由，將於2023年關閉。至目前為止，南達科他州的奉獻學院、紐約州的卡澤諾維亞學院、加州的聖名大學和北卡羅來納州的生活藝術學院已宣布將在本學年結束後關閉。

The number of colleges closing down in the past 10 years has quadrupled compared with the previous decade. Not only have many smaller institutions struggled as students opt for less expensive public schools or alternatives to a four-year degree altogether, but economic uncertainty and inflation also continue to impact markets, taking a heavy toll on endowments and leaving more colleges and universities in financial peril.

這十年來關閉的大學數量比前十年增加了四倍。不但有許多規模較小的學校因學生選擇較便宜的公立學校或是四年制學程以外的替代方案而陷入困境，而且經濟不穩定和通貨膨脹也繼續影響市場，使外部對學校的捐贈大幅減少，並讓更多大學院校陷入財務困境。

Meanwhile, the country’s most elite institutions are thriving. Coming out of the pandemic, a small group of universities, including many Ivy League schools, have experienced a record increase in applications this year.

同時美國的頂尖精英大學正蓬勃發展。疫情過後，包括多間常春藤盟校在內的一小部分大學今年的申請數量出現創紀錄的增長。

“For brand-name colleges, the demand is off the charts,” says education consultant Hafeez Lakhani. “It’s never been harder to get in. Yet private colleges that are less prestigious but equally expensive are struggling to attract applicants,” he added. “The majority of people are going to say, ‘Is that worth my while?’”

教育顧問哈菲茲拉卡尼說：「以名校來說，需求量已破表，會比以往更難獲得錄取。不過那些較無名氣但學費同樣昂貴的私立大學卻正苦於招生困難。」他補充道：「多數人會說，『這值得我的時間和精力嗎？』」

College is becoming a path for only those with the means to pay for it—and costs are still rising. Tuition and fees plus room and board for a four-year private college averaged $53,430 in the 2022-2023 school year; at four year, in-state public colleges, it was $23,250, according to the College Board. Now, the majority of applicants come from the country’s wealthiest zip codes.

大學正成為只有付得起學費的人才能走的路，而且學費仍在上漲。根據美國大學理事會的數據，2022－2023 學年，四年制私立大學的學雜費加上食宿費平均為 5 萬 3430 美元，四年制州立大學（本州居民）則為 2 萬 3250 美元。現在多數申請者都來自美國最富裕的地區。

Vocabulary

• enrollment (n.) 註冊 (大學課程或學籍) ／enroll (v.) 入學，註冊
• academic (adj.) 學術的，學校的
• uncertainty (n.) 不確定性
• peril (n.) 危難，險境
• elite (adj.) 菁英的，頂尖的
• thrive (v.) 茁壯成長，茂盛生長
• application (n.) 申請，申請書 ／ applicant (n.) 申請人
• tuition (n.) 學費
• zip code 郵遞區號，地區

Advanced Words

• quadruple (v.) 使成四倍
• opt (v.) 選擇
• endowment (n.) 捐贈基金、財產

Tongue-tied No More

• off the charts 遠高於平常紀錄，超出預期

• • According to climate scientists, ocean temperatures are off the charts.  根據氣候科學家的說法，海洋溫度破了紀錄。

• worth one’s while 值得去做，有用處的 / worthwhile (adj.) 值得的

• • It would be worth your while to review the material before your exam.  在考試前花點時間複習資料是值得的。

_{＊資料來源： EZ TALK《英文時事閱讀選2024》}