Colleges and Universities

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Harvard

Imagine spending years studying, writing essays, doing lab work, taking tests and completing all of the required courses necessary to earn a college degree — only to wonder whether you should attend your own graduation. That’s the situation for many international students at Harvard University, who fear that an immigration-related action will be taken against them during today's commencement ceremony, a school official spelled out in a court filing. Some international students who were supposed to attend Harvard for future semesters are also reconsidering doing so. Others have had trouble getting student visas to the US at embassies abroad. Three senior government officials told CNN that the State Department is currently reviewing all Harvard-affiliated visa holders, not just students, which is a notable escalation in the Trump administration’s feud with the school.

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Columbia Trustee Got Sued for Securities Fraud — Then Left Her Pharma Firm Under a Cloud

Shoshana Shendelman is reportedly part of a hard-line pro-Israel faction on the Columbia board of trustees.

https://theintercept.com/2025/05/27/columbia-university-trustee-shendelman-sued-pharma/?

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? Where international students study

Data: NAFSA;; Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios California, New York and Texas have the greatest shares of the roughly 1.1 million international college students in the U.S., Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports. Massachusetts and Illinois round out the top five, per data from NAFSA, an international education nonprofit. Go deeper.

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Universities

President Trump continued his feud with Ivy League schools on Wednesday by signing a proclamation to suspend international visas for new students at Harvard University. The move came after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to not make any changes to Harvard’s international student visa program indefinitely. The administration has demanded that Harvard change its hiring and admission requirements, eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and alter rules for on-campus protests. But the school has resisted those orders and filed a lawsuit claiming the government’s actions violate the First Amendment. Harvard wasn’t the only target of the Trump administration’s ire on Wednesday. The Department of Education also threatened Columbia University’s accreditation for allegedly tolerating antisemitism on campus. Accreditation is needed for students to gain access to federal money, including grants and loans. Columbia said it was “aware of the concerns raised” and had already addressed them.

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> Columbia University penalizes over 70 students for their participation in Israel-Gaza protests amid negotiations to restore $400M in federal funding; disciplinary action includes two-year suspensions, expulsions (More)

 

Columbia University

Columbia University has sanctioned more than 70 students for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. According to a source familiar with the disciplinary action, around 80% of those students received suspensions, expulsions or degree revocation. The punishments were announced as the school works behind the scenes to get the Trump administration to restore its federal funding. Earlier this month, CNN reported that Columbia was on the verge of striking a deal that would require it to pay a multimillion-dollar settlement, implement changes to its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, boost transparency in hiring and admissions efforts, and take other steps to improve security for Jewish students. In return, the university would regain access to over $400 million in federal funding the Trump administration stripped away earlier this year

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A message to college students

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

Axios CEO Jim VandeHei writes: Millions of you, including my two boys, just started a new school year swamped by toxic politics, a tough job market, and tectonic AI shifts on campus and off. It's easy to understand why stress, uncertainty and sadness are soaring. Why it matters: I want to offer you a very different way to see the world awaiting you — one with a lot less impending doom. It's based on a belief I grow more certain of with each passing month: You're being duped! It's not your fault. We all are: You're being duped into thinking most people are nuttier, meaner, more polarized than they actually are. You're being duped into thinking America is more broken, more unfixable and more hostile than it actually is. You're being duped into thinking you can't shape your life on your terms in your own way. You actually control a lot more of you than you realize. What if I told you that politicians, the media and your social media feeds are all chasing the exact same thing … your attention? And all three get your attention, to varying degrees, by amplifying conflict and juicing your emotions — mainly your negative ones. Our brains are hardwired with what is called "negativity bias." So we're all susceptible to eating this up. The result: Everything — and everyone — appears nastier, more outrageous, more hopeless than they really are. Think about it: Your reality is shaped by what you see, hear and read. So if your eyes, ears and mind are lit up with doom and gloom, you assume darkness and conflict are everywhere. But what if I told you most people in the real world aren't obsessed with politics, aren't glued to MSNBC or Fox News, or don't download X? Most people are the opposite of that: They're normal — living their lives with friends and family just like you. It's the people lighting up your social feeds who aren't. Most people don't care about Sydney Sweeney's jeans/genes or Cracker Barrel's logo. Reality check: I'm not diminishing the real-world, real-time consequences of politics in an era when we see that our communities, country and world are changing with historic and at times alarming speed. And, yes, there are big, urgent challenges, from rising pessimism to AI's effect on entry-level work. But let me lay out a different way to think about tackling all of this. First, some context: Yes, I'm in the media, so you can argue I'm part of the problem. But Axios doesn't have an opinion page — our reporters cover their beats clinically, like doctors, and we aim to be sources of truth amid the noise. I come at this view as a father of two sons in college, and a daughter who graduated recently. I helped co-found two companies, Politico and Axios. I'm CEO of 450 employees — and I'm an unapologetic beneficiary of democracy, capitalism and America's entrepreneurial spirit. My perch allows me to talk to CEOs, political leaders, tech and business executives, and lots of young people who work at Axios or move through my daily life. Here's what I see, and what I hope my kids and the rest of you will consider: America rocks. Yes, there are countless things we could do better. And lots of areas of legit concerns. But I beg young people to understand the enormous, indisputable advantages of this country, especially compared to other nations. We're the best-performing economic and new-idea-generating machine on the globe. We're blessed with two oceans on our shoulders and friendly neighbors north and south. We're sitting on more energy than was ever dreamed possible, and we have the freedom to move, live and work anywhere. We're leading AI and health advances — and we're the envy of all for our startup culture and can-do spirit. It's your country. I don't get the hopelessness and defeatism about changing things. The last three presidential elections all came down to a few hundred thousand votes in a few states. The tiniest of shifts would have tipped the White House — and the House of Representatives — the other way. Hell, every president going back to Bill Clinton (25 years ago!) enjoyed all-party rule (the White House, Senate and House) for at least two years. No stat better captures what a 50-50 nation we are. So your individual ability to change things, regardless of party or age (provided you're 18+), has never been stronger. No, things actually have been a lot worse. We all suffer recency bias. And assume "it's never been this bad." It sure as hell has. Crime is near a 50-year low. Murders? Low, and dropping by double digits three years in row. War? Military deaths are at a historic low. Yes, but this economy sucks! Cost of living has gone up — but inflation is nowhere near as bad as three years ago, and unemployment is holding near historic lows. But poverty. Yes, it's 11%, which sucks — but that's half the rate in 1959. You control you. Those are the most important three words of advice I will ever offer. We're often caught up in a blame-others or blame-life culture. It's a stupid waste of time. And wrong. You control how early you wake up, what you eat, whether you exercise, how you treat others, whether you pray or meditate or take time to think, what you read, watch and listen to, and what you do at night. You control your reality. You choose the read, watch, listen inputs that feed your mind and shape your reality. Too many feeds are awash with dumb, trivial, fake news. You choose whether to stare at stupidity or fixate on phony, airbrushed versions of people and events. There's more high-quality, life-enhancing, mind-enriching content available for free on YouTube, podcasts and elsewhere online than at any point in history. And it's not close. You simply need to choose it. You're living history. Pay more attention to the world unfolding before you. The way we work, communicate, travel, learn, practice politics, wage wars and explore space are all rapidly changing before our eyes. So open them. Be curious. AI alone might be bigger than the internet or electricity. You know it's going to change the world. So use it before you have to. Learn about it. Question it. Life is too short to be a silent, clueless bystander. Get in the damn game. These might be the five most important words of advice after "You control you." You have roughly 80 years on Earth, one-third spent asleep. So don't piss them away wishing, wondering, whining. Jump in. Trust me, life will hit you hard with unexpected punches that truly hurt and leave a mark. So use every punch-free day to get in the fight on your terms. Try new things. Read new things. Meet new people. Find new passions. Change things you want changed. Do good things for others. Yes, America has big problems. Always has. Always will. So help fix 'em. Be grateful. It sounds cheesy and trite even to write it. But we live in extraordinary times, in an extraordinary nation, full of extraordinary people. It's easy to doom-scroll life away, both on your screen and in your mind. Don't. Want proof there's more to be grateful for than you think? Starting today, keep a running list (I use the Notes function on my iPhone) of people who do things, big or small, that brighten or better you. You'll be astonished how long this list grows — and how seemingly little things leave a big mark decades later. The bottom line: There's a lot to lament. Just look at social media and the email you're about to send me telling me I'm a privileged, delusional knucklehead. But there's a lot more to love — once you realize you've been duped.

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Message to college students, Part 2

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

Axios CEO Jim VandeHei writes: Your intense response to my message to college students last week featured a common refrain: Loved the different, more optimistic mindset. But what can I personally do to make a bigger, better difference? Why it matters: The things college kids can do are the same things that all of us of any age can do to think, see and act more optimistically and optimally. I took a crack at 8 things you can do, starting today: These aren't political solutions (those will land in your inbox tomorrow night). They're personal ones — qualities I and others I admire have seen shine in the most productive, successful and satisfied people we know. Invest in friends. There's a reason most people who study how to both live long and live happily agree that real, close, deep relationships matter most. Social media is often artificial, airbrushed and empty. Dedicate substantial time to people who really know and like you. You'll be able to better understand and even persuade others if you do. Attend church, go to synagogue, pray at your mosque. Host a dinner. Call, don't text, a friend. Better yet, visit them. Look out. You'll notice a pattern here: The most vital things you can do transcend you. Look beyond yourself. Think life sucks? Volunteer. Think people are dumb? Read to a kid. Think America is hopeless? Go visit a nursing home and listen to people with decades of life experience. Feel down? Serve food at a homeless shelter. You never hear: "Geez, I regret the time I spent helping others" or "Doing something for someone else makes me feel like crap." Look out at school and work, too. This is a professional magic trick Mike Allen taught me long ago: People way underestimate how much others will cheer for you or help you because you helped them first, or put them first. You don't need to be cutthroat or self-focused to be super-successful. You get further — and more — by being more selfless. Try it. Be patriotic-curious. You don't need to wear red, white and blue, but explore what makes America great. Read biographies, watch Ken Burns' documentaries, or listen to history podcasts to understand America's origin story and evolution. Don't hide from history — the good or the bad. Learn from it, and you'll discover that despite its flaws, America's story is an inspiring one of perseverance, correction and triumph. Be smart. Life's too short to be clueless. Starting today, you can replace 15 to 30 minutes of doom-scrolling with eye-opening. Pick one reputable general news source to get a more panoramic view of your world. Read Axios AM, PM and Finish Line daily for free. This takes 10 to 12 minutes total. If after a month you're not exponentially better informed, I'll give you your money back ?. Explore one new podcast per week on Spotify or Apple to get a sampling of smart people talking about important topics. And sign up for some free newsletters: Bruce Mehlman, whose "Six-Chart Sunday" would be my one Substack on a desert island ... Emily Sundberg, for a knowing, youthful eye on business & culture. Get out, and look up. You can attribute a decent percentage of America's funk to a pair of interrelated, substantial social changes: People staring at phones ... and staying home alone. The staring and the staying are isolating — and distorting. We're wired for interaction with both others and nature. Force yourself to unplug the phone, open the door, get out and look up. This takes effort, but eventually forms new habits and changes your life. Nail the basics. There are no hacks, pills, supplements or magical ways to optimize your mind or joy. The formula is clear, indisputable and free: Exercise, eat healthy, sleep well and make friends. The earlier you start, the easier it is, the bigger the impact. You don't need Whole Foods or fancy gyms or ergonomic beds. If you eat healthy, work out, try to sleep eight hours, and make and keep friends, you vastly increase your chances of living better and making a bigger difference in society. Get in the game. This point resonated with readers who wrote in about the column, so I'm re-upping it with a little edge: Whining without any action stops today. It's weak, wasted energy, sapping your ability to cope or change things. Commit yourself to doing your small part to making things better, whether it's at school, work or home. You will find this mindset is contagious for you — and others around you. Beats the heck out of wallowing. The big picture: Big change starts small. It begins with you. ? Tell Jim what you REALLY think: jim@axios.com. Go deeper: Watch Jim's '24 commencement speech to UW Oshkosh graduates.

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Message to college students, Part 3

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

Axios CEO Jim VandeHei writes: We cover politics clinically, not ideologically. So it's not our job or mission to offer policy or political advice. But thousands of you asked for thoughts on how college kids — or anyone, really — can truly think differently, or more calmly, about politics in charged moments. So here are eight clinical, nonideological changes you could make today: Vote. Ya don't get to whine if ya don't get in line — and vote. The presidency, Congress, and many state and local races come down to thousands of votes. So, yes, your vote often matters. Yet outside of presidential elections, most don't even try. The good news: Presidential turnout was roughly 65% of eligible voters in 2024. Not too shabby. But less than half of adults vote in congressional races. Average turnout in state and local races? 15%-30%. A big uprising by like-minded people can literally shape politics at federal, state and local levels. Serve. Less than 1% of Americans go into the military. Our best and brightest aren't choosing government instead. They're going into the private sector, while holding an increasingly sour view of government competence. I can tell you this as someone who started and runs companies: You're only as good as your talent. So unless a lot more talented, well-intentioned people choose service, the country suffers. Somehow, we need to make this prestigious and valiant again. It might take mandatory service programs, but that's not happening anytime soon. So, volunteer. Get informed. I'm horrified by how many people argue about policies or politics without knowing the facts, history or context. Don't Be That Person. Take the time to understand governance based on what you know, not how you feel. Read trustworthy news more regularly, dig a little deeper if you don't understand. Find sources — media, podcasts, friends or family — who routinely demonstrate clinical, fact-based understanding of big issues. Pop your bubble. Take time to understand views or people you oppose — or even loathe. To our liberal readers, watch or listen to hard-core Trumpers like Steve Bannon or Charlie Kirk, and conservatives with more mixed views of Trump like Ben Shapiro or Bari Weiss. To our conservative readers, read or listen to New York Times columnist Ezra Klein, mainstream Democrats like the Pod Save America guys, or proud progressives like Rachel Maddow. Share knowledge, not noise. One massive, easy change all of you can make: Stop sharing stuff you didn't read or authenticate. It's wild how many people share things on social media based on a headline or even one word that juiced their dopamine and rage. Stop! And then start sharing fact-based, useful information that might actually help others better understand the inherent complexities of issues. When in doubt, share nothing. Give yourself a reality check. Take to heart our message that politicians and your social media feed are designed to make things feel more hateful and hopeless than they actually are. Then, realize a lot of social media accounts are bots controlled by foreign countries and other scumbags playing to your worst impulses. Social media is not reality. Put down your phone. Clean up your feed (who and what you follow). Stay alert and clear-eyed when scrolling. Fix your politics diet. We co-founded Politico and Axios, where the vast majority of our traffic and money comes from people reading political and policy coverage. So my advice might shock you (or rattle our bean counters!): Stop reading so much politics. This stuff used to be boring and consumed in small quantities. Our brains (and mental health) aren't built to marinate in politics all day, every day. Everything in moderation, especially politics. Widen your eyes. Everyone is hopped up about political change. But there are three or four tectonic shifts unfolding that might be bigger and more lasting than today's politics: AI, media, China and birth rates. Take time to read up and think about how AI might be more impactful than the internet ... how media is being shattered into scores of ecosystems, shaping realities based on people's age, profession and politics ... how China represents the biggest threat to America's dominance in a century-plus ... and the consequences of people having fewer babies — not just here, but in most advanced nations. The big picture: There are clear alternatives to disengaging or doom-sharing. You simply need to choose them. ? Tell Jim what you REALLY think: jim@axios.com. Go deeper: Jim's message to college students, Part 1 ... Part 2.

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HBCU lockdowns

Multiple historically Black colleges and universities in the South went on lockdown or canceled classes on Thursday over potential threats. Hampton University, Virginia State University, Bethune-Cookman University and Alabama State University were among several HBCUs that reported receiving potential threats to campus safety. Spelman and Morehouse Colleges in Atlanta also briefly issued shelter-in-place orders after neighboring Clark Atlanta University received a threat. The alerts came a day after Charlie Kirk was killed in a campus shooting in Utah — and amid a wave of active shooter hoaxes nationwide. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the threats as "despicable" and urged the Justice Department to investigate them as domestic terrorism.

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The college edge

Data: Gallup. Chart: Axios Visuals The share of Americans who say college is "very important" has plummeted over the past decade, Axios' Emily Peck reports from new Gallup polling. Why it matters: College may not live up to the American Dream that it promised in the past, and there are alternative pathways for success that are becoming more appealing for Gen Z. But in terms of lifetime earnings, a college degree remains a stark indicator. The big picture: There are plenty of reasons for the decline in perceived value among Americans. School is expensive, student loan debt is often onerous and job security for those with degrees has diminished. There's also growing interest and appeal for young adults in the skilled trades — becoming plumbers, electricians, etc. — especially as AI appears to threaten white collar work. Data: Census Bureau. Chart: Axios Visuals But college grads earn more than twice what high-school graduates make. The median income in a household headed by someone with at least a bachelor's degree was $132,700 last year — that's more than double the $58,410 median income of a household led by a high-school grad, according to Census income data released last week. Earnings for college-led households have pulled away from the pack — rising more than 6% over the past two decades, compared with a 3% increase for high school graduates. Reality check: It's certainly possible to become successful without a degree — just ask Mark Zuckerberg. Plus, the rapid advancement of AI is fueling concern about job prospects for knowledge workers across industries. And shortages of certain blue-collar workers have put a spotlight on the trades as a strong alternative career path.

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America's Ph.D. crisis

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

The pipeline for Ph.D.s out of U.S. universities is shrinking at an unprecedented rate: Spots are disappearing, interest is fading, and other countries are eager to fill the void, Axios' Erica Pandey writes. Why it matters: America graduates more Ph.D.s than any other country. They go on to invent things, cure diseases and win Nobel Prizes. ? By the numbers: Harvard is cutting Ph.D. admission slots in sciences by 75% and in humanities by 60%, the Harvard Crimson reported this past week. MIT admitted fewer biology Ph.D.s this year than last — and the University of Washington's astronomy department is suspending Ph.D. admissions for the upcoming academic year, Nature's Alexandra Witze reports. Brown is pausing Ph.D. admissions in at least six humanities and social science departments, per The Brown Daily Herald. Zoom out: "This is an acceleration of a trend that was already underway," says Julie Posselt, a professor of higher education at USC. "It's not a situation that we can solely place blame on the Trump administration for." As more graduate students unionize, it's becoming tougher for universities to afford their salaries, pushing some programs to shrink, she notes. Even before the Trump administration started revoking international students' visas, many were already choosing programs in Australia, China, the U.K., Germany and beyond over U.S. schools. At the same time, the "is college worth it?" debate looms large, and many prospective students are wary of taking on debt to pursue grad school. About 70% of Americans say higher education is "going in the wrong direction," per a recent Pew Research Center survey. ? Now there's fresh political pressure. Universities have lost billions of dollars in federal research funding. International student arrivals to the U.S. in August dropped by 19% as the government clamps down on visas, AP reports.

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? Who gets college grants

Data: The Century Foundation. Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios Colleges are throwing more and more money at kids to get them to choose their schools. Why it matters: That grant money is going to families who need it the least, Axios' Emily Peck reports. Zoom in: 56% of students from households in the top income quartile receive grants in excess of need — the cost of their attendance minus expected family contribution. Just 0.2% in the bottom quartile receive grants in excess of need, according to the research from the Century Foundation, a progressive policy think tank. The big picture: For the last decade, universities have been raising tuition prices sky-high while offering an increasing amount of grants — framed as merit aid. Colleges gave out $83 billion in grant aid in the last school year, up from $50 billion in 2010. Over that same period, the amount of aid from the federal government fell to $44 billion, from $56 billion. Read on.

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Brutal entry-level job market

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

College students graduating in the spring will be entering one of the worst job markets in years, The Wall Street Journal reports from a survey of employers (gift link). Big companies believe they can get by with significantly fewer workers than they've had in the past, so they're hiring less overall. Entry-level applicants are also competing against a large population of recently laid-off workers with a bit more experience. And AI may eat everyone's lunch before long. ? By the numbers: Handshake, a job site catering to people who are early in their careers, says there are an average of 26% more applications per job, compared to the same time last year, per the WSJ. Over 60% of the upcoming graduating class said they're pessimistic about their careers.

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? International student slump

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

American universities enrolled far fewer new international students this fall, Axios Boston's Steph Solis writes from preliminary data published by the Institute of International Education. Why it matters: In the first year of President Trump's second term, students have faced abrupt visa terminations, legal fights over their academic futures and, in some cases, arrest and detention by immigration agents over political speech. ? By the numbers: A survey of 825 U.S. higher education institutions showed a 17% drop in international students matriculating in the fall for the first time. Total enrollment among international students fell 1%. Undergraduate enrollment actually increased 2%, but graduate enrollment fell 11%. Explore the data ...

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? New poll: Degree doubts jump

Nearly two-thirds of registered voters believe a college degree isn't worth the cost — a stunning shift in sentiment from just one decade ago, according to an NBC News poll out this morning. Why it matters: The eye-popping shift "comes against the backdrop of several major trends shaping the job market and the education world, from exploding college tuition prices to rapid changes in the modern economy" — namely, AI. ? By the numbers: 63% agreed that it's "not worth the cost because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off." Just 33% agreed that a four-year college degree is "worth the cost because people have a better chance to get a good job and earn more money over their lifetime." In 2013, 53% in a CNBC poll said a degree was worth it. 40% said it wasn't. More on the poll.

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Oklahoma university instructor on leave after failing Bible-based essay on gender

An instructor at the University of Oklahoma has been placed on leave after a student complained that she received a failing grade on a paper that cited the Bible to assert that the “belief in multiple genders” was “demonic.”

https://apnews.com/article/university-oklahoma-gender-bible-essay-demonic-0fd51985c123737cd372ba609b730541?

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Back to school in the golden years

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

For years, "lifelong learning" has been a buzzy term without much substance. There's talk of how continuing to pick up new skills as we age can help us AI-proof ourselves and stave off dementia — but there are few examples of adult learning taking place at scale. Now, many American universities are actually making it happen, Alice Park writes in TIME's new cover story, "The New Old Age." ? Zoom in: College campuses across America, from the University of Florida to Arizona State University to Stanford, are leaning into lifelong learning by building facilities for retirement-age adults right on site. New ones are planned for Texas A&M and Purdue. The university-based retirement community at ASU, called Mirabella, was the first of its kind. It's a cross between a senior living facility and a dorm, and the residents are in their 60s and beyond. The money quote: "Everyone benefits," Park writes of Mirabella. "[R]esidents are an active part of the university community, taking classes, mentoring students, and serving as teaching assistants." "[P]rofessors give lectures at the residence, and several doctoral music students live in the building rent-free, teaching seniors and gaining performance experience by giving concerts several times a week." Illustration by Sean Freeman & Eve Steben for TIME ? Zoom out: These facilities were conceived as part of a wider effort in America — and across the world — to re-engineer society to account for the reality that people are living longer and having fewer children, so older adults are making up a larger share of the population. 60 million Americans are now 65 or older, and that number will keep growing. ? What to watch: It's not just when, where and how we retire that's changing. Labor economists and social scientists expect the collision of global aging and technology to shake up the way we work, too. David Rehkopf, director of Stanford's Center on Longevity, told TIME the traditional model of working full-time for decades and then retiring is becoming obsolete. Many of today's jobs can be performed for far longer, as technology continues to take over more labor-intensive work. "[W]orkers should flow in and out of the workforce, spending some years working full-time and some years with flexible hours to allow them to raise children, care for aging parents, or pursue other interests," Park writes. Read the cover package, "The Age of Longevity."

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🎓 College grad spike

Data: Census Bureau. Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios The share of U.S. adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher rose from about 34% to 38% between the 2015–2019 and 2020–2024 periods, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Jacque Schrag report from new census data. 📈 The biggest gains among the 100 largest metro areas: Durham, N.C. (53%, up from 45%); New Haven, Conn. (42%, up from 35%); and Austin (51%, up from 45%). Springfield, Mass., was the only metro with a decrease, dropping from about 33% to 29%. 📊 How it works: That's based on the Census Bureau's latest five-year American Community Survey estimates. 🚚 A given metro's share can increase if more residents get degrees, or if more people with degrees move into town. Go deeper.

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🎓 Ohio State University named provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda its 18th president, just days after predecessor Ted Carter Jr.'s abrupt resignation over an "inappropriate relationship."

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🖊️ Old-school weapon to foil AI cheating

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

Colleges besieged by AI-generated writing brought back blue-book exams to deter cheating. But some educators say handwritten tests don't showcase students' best work and disadvantage swaths of learners, Axios' Josephine Walker reports. Why it matters: Educators say AI cheating is real. But reverting to pen-and-paper tests sidesteps the reality that many employers want graduates who are comfortable using AI tools. 🥊 Reality check: Blue books can help prevent copy-and-paste cheating. But Professor Dan Melzer, at U.C. Davis, told Axios that educators won't be able to completely "outsmart ChatGPT" because students will find workarounds. Many young Americans have spent much of their lives on screens. Leaning on blue books makes educators look like dinosaurs, Melzer says: "Why don't we just have them write with chisels?"

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Perfect homework, blank stares: Why colleges are turning to oral exams to combat AI

College instructors across the U.S. are noticing troubling new trends as generative artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated. Take-home essays and other written assignments are coming back perfect. But when students are asked to explain their work, they can’t. The long-term impact of AI use on critical thinking remains to be seen, but educators worry students increasingly see the hard work of thinking as optional. Read more.

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Major danger: AI's college shift

Data: Lumina Foundation-Gallup. (Due to rounding, percentages may sum to 100% ±1 percentage point.) Chart: Avery Lotz/Axios Nearly half of college students say they've thought at least a fair amount about changing their major or studies because of AI, Axios' Avery Lotz reports via new polling from the Lumina Foundation and Gallup. 🧮 By the numbers: Among currently enrolled college students, 14% have thought "a great deal" and 33% have thought "a fair amount" about changing their major or field of study because of the effect AI may have on the job market or on specific industries. 16% of students have changed their major because of the impact AI might have, a trend that is higher among men (21%) than women (12%) and in vocational (26%) and tech (25%) majors. 🤯 Threat level: Despite students bracing for post-grad impact, 42% say students at their college are discouraged from using AI in coursework, other than in a few circumstances.

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📚 AI's education trust deficit

Data: Quinnipiac. Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios Nearly three-quarters of Americans say it's important that college students be taught how to use AI, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. But many don't trust them to use it productively: 47% say AI is used to help avoid learning, while 42% say it's used to help learn. 🤔 The intrigue: The younger the respondent, the more likely they are to believe that the technology is used to cut corners. By 23 points, 18–34-year-olds feel AI is used to avoid learning. The oldest age groups were more trusting. Explore the data.

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College students wary of the job market are changing course in search of ‘AI-proof’ majors Amid the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, many college students are reconsidering their career paths and picking majors that feel less likely to be automated and help build skills in areas where humans still have an edge. Read more.

Why this matters: About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School. The uncertainty appears most concentrated among those pursuing degrees in technology and vocational areas of study. “We see students all the time change majors. That’s not new or different. But it’s usually for a ton of different reasons,” said Courtney Brown, a vice president at Lumina, an education nonprofit focused on increasing the number of students who seek education beyond high school. “The fact that so many students say it’s because of AI — that is startling.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Perfect homework, blank stares: Why colleges are turning to oral exams to combat AI

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Hottest markets for new grads

Data: ADP. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Birmingham, Ala., and Tampa Bay top payroll processor ADP's new rankings of the best U.S. metros for recent college grads, Axios' Sami Sparber reports. That's based on wages, hiring rates and cost of living data. 💵 ADP credits Greater Birmingham's rise to solid hiring and wage growth, saying the area "posted a strong 2.8% hiring rate, and median annual wages for recent graduates jumped more than 16% to $59,004." Birmingham took the No. 1 spot from Raleigh, another Southern economic powerhouse. 🤖 West Coast tech hubs San Francisco and San Jose also had a strong showing, despite concerns over AI's impact on entry-level software jobs. Salt Lake City came in dead last, with weak hiring and below-median wages and affordability. The bottom line: Entry-level hiring is rebounding. But young professionals' prospects depend on the specific role, sector and location, The Wall Street Journal reports (gift link). Go deeper.