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Increasing public scrutiny on the high cost of college tuition, growing competitive pressures, and large discount rates have led some private colleges to implement tuition reduction strategies.  Such strategies are designed to increase access and affordability for middle-class families and increase enrollment to stabilize the institution’s financial condition.  This study considers the effectiveness of a tuition reduction strategy at several private colleges and universities.  Using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), institutional press releases, news articles, and other publicly available sources, this research examines the factors preceding and following the decision to reduce tuition.  Data include both quantitative and qualitative variables such as enrollment trends, tuition, total revenue, institutional prestige, student demographic profile, and leadership changes.  The results of this work will aid leaders of colleges and universities and higher education researchers, and may complement the research on higher education pricing theory.

higher education; finance; accounting