The latest in college layoffs: Full Sail, IIT and Johns Hopkins

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Workforce cuts continued into the summer as institutions prepped for a new academic year in leaner times.

Published Sept. 10, 2026

Ben Unglesbee

Senior Reporter

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S. R. Crown Hall on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus in Chicago. The college is one of many that slashed jobs ahead of the fall term.

The image by Joe Ravi is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Many colleges are starting the new academic year with smaller workforces. Over the summer, institutions of all kinds announced layoffs amid ongoing days of austerity and retrenchment in higher education.

And these latest moves add to years of downsizing the sector has already experienced. The ranks of full-time staff at colleges shrank 6.6% in 2025 compared to the year before, according to survey data released last month by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.

Among the latest institutions paring back their workforces are Full Sail University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Temple University and Johns Hopkins University . Here’s a look at our latest coverage of workforce cuts and other budget moves:

Full Sail University cuts 180 jobs

By Ben Unglesbee

• Sept. 3, 2026

The for-profit arts and media college's student population fell by 13.1% from 2025 to 2026, according to a spokesperson. Read the full article ➔

Minnesota State Mankato to undergo layoffs, hike tuition amid $22M shortfall

By Natalie Schwartz

• Aug. 7, 2026

Despite strong enrollment, the public university said it’s facing a large budget hole due to stagnant state funding. Read the full article ➔

Illinois Institute of Technology lays off 160 faculty and staff members

By Ben Unglesbee

• Aug. 4, 2026

As it undergoes a major restructuring, the private institution cited challenges in international student enrollment and research cutbacks. Read the full article ➔

Temple University lays off 40 employees as it tackles deficit

By Ben Unglesbee

• July 10, 2026

The public Philadelphia institution is reducing its workforce for the second year in a row but has seen promising enrollment gains of late. Read the full article ➔

Johns Hopkins lays off 110 employees in the wake of federal research cuts

By Ben Unglesbee

• June 26, 2026

"As our federal research portfolio shrinks, the infrastructure around it must change in parallel,” a spokesperson for the private university said. Read the full article ➔

Southern Oregon University plan would cut 3 majors, roughly 66 jobs

By Natalie Schwartz

• June 18, 2026

The new proposal comes after the public institution carried out two recent rounds of workforce cuts and declared financial exigency last year. Read the full article ➔

The New School AAUP slams faculty layoffs

By Ben Unglesbee

• June 10, 2026

The faculty group disputed what administrators describe as a need to shrink and restructure the institution to meet a new enrollment reality. Read the full article ➔

University of Maryland lays off 84 employees amid budget pressures

By Ben Unglesbee

• June 5, 2026

The public institution is facing federal and state funding cuts in addition to higher energy costs and slowing endowment returns. Read the full article ➔