Indiana University Guts 150 Academic Programs: Here’s What Degrees Are Going Away

Indiana University Bloomington has said it will suspend or eliminate over 100 academic programs ahead of the 2026-27 school year—part of sweeping changes to public higher education across the state.

The changes, affecting undergraduate through doctoral degrees, come after a $100 million budget realignment across Indiana in recent months.

Newsweek reached out to Indiana University for comment via email Tuesday afternoon.

Why It Matters

Indiana’s Republican Governor Mike Braun has called for more practical degrees that lead students into jobs, but the alterations to higher education in the state also come at a time when colleges across the country are coming under increasing scrutiny over funding and the programs they offer.

Indiana University Bloomington — The Sample Gates seen from Kirkwood Avenue looking East on the First day of fall 2023 classes at Indiana University on AUGUST 21, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. Image for illustration purposes only.

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What To Know

The programs affected were discussed at an Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) meeting on Monday, with classes and courses from science through to public health to the arts all up for changes. Schools had voluntarily put the programs up for elimination or merger, the Commission said.

At least 43 undergrad programs will be suspended at IU Bloomington alone, with the plan to either eliminate them altogether or merge them with other degrees.

Among the Bachelor of Arts programs affected were Art History, Classical Civilization, Religious Studies, and Spanish. Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Fine Arts programs were also impacted, including programs in Earth Science, Music, and Statistics.

The school is not alone. Across the entire Indiana University group, 249 programs will see changes. Across the entire state, that total was at 408.

Out of those, 75 will be eliminated, with 68 seeing zero enrollments, per the INCHE report. Another 101 will be suspended, while the remaining 232 will be merged or consolidated.

Moving forward, state education institutions such as IU Bloomington will have to seek approval from the state commission to continue any degree programs seen as “under threshold”—meaning fewer than 15 enrollees at the bachelor’s level and 10 for associate degrees.

Last week, Indiana’s public schools agreed to a freeze on tuition fees for two academic years, meaning these will be kept flat through summer 2027.

What People Are Saying

Indiana Governor Mike Braun, in a press release: “During the most recent legislative session, one of our top agenda items included ensuring that Indiana’s higher education institutions are preparing students for career opportunities in the most in-demand fields of today and the future.

“Just in the past month, our state institutions have taken bold, proactive steps to increase the value of higher education for both students and families, first, through keeping tuition flat, and today, by beginning the process to streamline degree offerings.

“This will help students make more informed decisions about the degree they want to pursue and ensure there is a direct connection between the skills students are gaining through higher education and the skills they need most.”

Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery, in a press release: “The thoughtful, voluntary review and reduction conducted by Indiana’s public institutions demonstrates their commitment to improving quality, cost, and delivery while strategically allocating resources.

“Our institutions want to ensure the programs they’re offering are responsive to student demand and fit the needs of Indiana’s evolving economy. The primary beneficiaries of this work will be students, who face an overwhelming number of degree programs as they make their educational and career decisions.”