On April 1, 2026, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education voted to eliminate or merge approximately 580 degree programs across the state's seven public universities, including Indiana University, Purdue University, Ball State, and Indiana State. The cuts affect programs that fell below minimum graduation thresholds set by state law. Students already enrolled in suspended programs can finish their degrees.

Indiana just made one of the largest single-day reductions to college program offerings in recent state history. On April 1, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education reviewed 1,160 degree programs identified as falling below state-mandated enrollment thresholds — and voted on what to do with each one.

The results: roughly 374 programs will be merged or consolidated under new names, 210 programs will be suspended or eliminated outright, and the remainder placed on improvement plans with time to grow enrollment before facing further review.1

Why This Is Happening

Indiana's House Enrolled Act 1001 required public universities to review programs that produced fewer graduates than defined minimum thresholds. Those cutoffs:

  • Associate degrees: 10 graduates per year
  • Bachelor's degrees: 15 graduates per year
  • Master's degrees: 7 graduates per year
  • Doctoral degrees: 3 graduates per year

Programs falling below those numbers for a defined period were flagged for the commission's review. The 1,160 programs under consideration represent programs that failed to meet those benchmarks.

210 — Degree programs eliminated or suspended at Indiana's 7 public universities, out of 1,160 reviewed April 1, 2026.

Education Secretary Katie Jenner framed the decision as fiscal responsibility: "We have the responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and good stewards and supporters of our parents, families and students who are investing in higher education," according to reporting by WFYI.2

What Was Cut

Programs eliminated span multiple institutions. Examples confirmed by reporting include:

  • A master's degree in architecture at Ball State University
  • A master's in industrial technology at Indiana State University
  • An associate's degree in liberal studies at Indiana University
  • Two master's degree programs at Purdue University — one in Agriculture, one in Defense Engineering and Technology

At Purdue, the affected programs represent approximately 0.4% of total enrollment. Across all seven universities, affected programs represent about 4% of graduates in fiscal year 2024 — meaning the cuts affect a relatively small share of students by headcount, but cover a meaningful breadth of specialized programs.

Not All Cuts Are the Same

It's worth distinguishing between what "eliminated" means here. Suspension and elimination primarily affect new enrollment — students already in these programs are explicitly protected. Any student currently enrolled in a suspended program can continue and complete their degree under the existing requirements.

The merged and consolidated programs are a different category: these programs will continue in modified form, often combined with related programs under a new name. A student in a merged program may find their degree path slightly altered, but their field of study typically remains available.

If you are currently enrolled at an Indiana public university, check whether your specific program appears on the commission's April 1 recommendations list. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education published its final recommendations publicly. Your program may be suspended, merged, or placed on an improvement plan — and those carry different implications for completing your degree.

The Broader Pattern

Indiana is not the only state pursuing this approach. State legislatures across the country are increasingly scrutinizing low-enrollment programs at public universities, using graduation thresholds and return-on-investment metrics to justify cuts.

Faculty at Indiana University pushed back. IU's faculty representative Edward Castronova told commission members that some Bloomington campus faculty "believe this move is about turning the university into a 'business'" — drawing a line between efficiency-driven consolidation and the academic breadth that defines a research university.

That tension is not unique to Indiana. The argument for cuts: public universities are funded by taxpayers and should direct resources to programs students actually use. The argument against: small programs serve niche student populations, support faculty research that generates broader economic value, and their absence may not be reflected in enrollment numbers alone.

What It Means If You're Applying to Indiana Schools

If you are a high school student or transfer applicant considering Indiana's public universities, this round of cuts is mostly consequential for highly specialized graduate programs. Bachelor's degree elimination was concentrated in lower-enrollment fields.

That said, this is a good reminder to verify program availability before applying anywhere. Our guide on how to build a college list walks through how to evaluate whether a program you're interested in is well-established or at risk of future changes.

When comparing schools, it also helps to look at average student loan debt by institution and major — because program consolidation at public schools can affect faculty depth, course offerings, and advising quality, all of which factor into your eventual return on that investment.

Students interested in Indiana's public universities should still consider them for the programs they do offer well. Read our community college transfer guide if an Indiana community college pathway makes sense, or how to transfer colleges if you're evaluating a multi-institution route.

The Changes Take Effect When?

The commission's decisions are expected to be implemented by the end of the 2026–27 academic year. Programs currently in a "ramp-up" or improvement plan phase will have more time before facing a second review. Newly suspended programs will stop accepting new students; currently enrolled students continue unaffected.

For context on what's happening more broadly with university funding and federal policy, see our coverage on federal research funding cuts at universities and Education Department programs moving to other agencies. If you're weighing whether a particular school or degree path makes financial sense, our guide on how much student debt is too much is a good place to start before committing.

Footnotes

  1. WFYI Education. (2026, April 1). Indiana eliminates or merges about 580 degree programs across public universities. https://www.wfyi.org/education/2026-04-01/indiana-eliminates-or-merges-about-580-degree-programs-across-public-universities ↩

  2. Indiana Capital Chronicle. (2026, April 1). Hundreds of college programs eliminated, but the majority serving students remain. https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/01/hundreds-of-college-programs-are-on-the-chopping-block-but-the-majority-serving-students-remain/ ↩