Adrian College President Jeffrey Docking has urged university leaders to reduce tuition annually, arguing that Syracuse University’s near-$100,000 cost of attendance reflects a wider structural crisis in American higher education. He said institutions must work together to re-engineer their operations as students increasingly question the value of degrees and colleges face falling enrolment.

Syracuse has almost $500 million in debt linked to new residence halls and is dealing with a 1.5% budget shortfall. Its international enrolment reportedly halved in 2025, while it missed overall recruitment targets and offered emergency financial aid; tuition has risen from $40,458 in 2013-14 to $69,180, with total annual costs reaching $98,544. US student loan balances have reached $1.65 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.