Higher Education Fuels Chicago’s Future – Why is it Under Attack?
Chicago is the nation’s third-largest college town, home to the 20 post-secondary institutions, both public and private, that make up America’s Urban Campus (AUC) and enroll over 200,000 students. Our mission is to elevate Chicago as a global destination for higher education.
These institutions are more than just centers of learning—they are economic engines, community anchors, and drivers of innovation. The future of our region depends on their continued vitality. But recent government actions threaten this critical sector. Executive orders, proposed legislation, and sweeping staff reductions at the U.S. Department of Education create uncertainty for students, families, faculty, and staff alike. These changes jeopardize not only access to higher education but also the economic well-being of our neighborhoods and Chicago as a whole.
Our higher education institutions in Chicago collectively employ over 62,000 people—from faculty and researchers to custodial staff and security personnel. Each year, nearly 57,000 students graduate from these institutions and enter the workforce, many of them staying right here in Illinois. Employers depend on our diverse and highly skilled graduates. Our hospitals, tech startups, nonprofits, and local governments all rely on the talented scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs our institutions educate and employ.
Chicago universities also serve as incubators for innovation. Research conducted in our institutions powers breakthroughs in medicine, technology, social sciences, and the arts. Cuts to federal research funding, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Department of Energy, could delay or derail lifesaving clinical trials, stifle scientific progress and inhibit economic growth.
The potential elimination of the Department of Education and ongoing staffing cuts across the federal government only deepen the uncertainty. Most Chicago college students rely on federal financial aid to afford tuition and living expenses. While financial aid may continue, it’s unclear who will administer these programs—or whether the federal workforce will be sufficient to manage them effectively.
This instability comes at an already precarious time. The number of college-age students is projected to decline over the next decade, and more Americans question the value of a college education. Federal investment in students is essential to assuring that higher education is affordable and relevant.
What’s at stake is the decades-long partnership between government and higher education that helped create the best university system in the world. If that partnership unravels, the consequences won’t be limited to campus. Businesses that depend on local talent may look elsewhere. Neighborhoods that rely on student and staff spending will feel the impact. Opportunities will shrink, and storefronts may sit vacant.
This isn’t just an education issue—it’s an economic and civic one. And it comes at a time when Illinois cannot afford to lose any more students to out-of-state schools.
Chicago truly is America’s Urban Campus. Each of our members is deeply rooted in Chicago’s neighborhoods. Our colleges and universities train health professionals, educators, artists, and entrepreneurs. We partner with local public schools, provide resources for community-based organizations, and welcome students from across the globe. Chicago is stronger because of our institutions, and our institutions are stronger because they are in Chicago.
We recognize the need to evolve as societal needs change. But we believe change is best realized through collaboration and partnership, not disparaging rhetoric or federal dismantlement. We are committed to working with government leaders, community members, and businesses to preserve and strengthen a system that has served our city—and our country—so well for so long.
Our higher education institutions are among Chicago’s greatest strengths. Let us all invest in — and speak out for–the many thousands of students who help our incredible city flourish.
David Baker, Executive Director, America’s Urban Campus