This one is going viral today
Are you looking over my shoulder?
Don't know if any of these replies are true:
Electrical engineering get cut????
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The future will be like the 1950’s where only the rich will be able to afford college.Love it!!
With huge drop in HS graduates just starting this year, these numbers will get worse and worse over next ten years minimum. Keep raising tuitions fukkos!
Crazy how UVM was once a destination school and now they are becoming an afterthought. Colleges aren't the only ones likely to downsize in the coming decade. I feel like K-12 schools may as well with the average number of children per household dwindling the last like 20 years. Can see many school systems merge/consolidate or outright close.Everything doesn’t stay the same. Syracuse and Clemson were sports powerhouses in the past, Syracuse in the 1950’s and Clemson ten years ago. Students aren’t going there for their sports programs anymore and their academics is slightly above average for their cost. With the federal government cutting funding, less international students and a message that college is no longer necessary and a waste of money. More colleges will go bankrupt and programs will be cut to survive.
Time truly IS a circle lol. I joked that the dogshit economy we are in is very similar to the issues plaguing everyone in the 2000s prior to the Great Recession.The future will be like the 1950’s where only the rich will be able to afford college.
The future will be like the 1950’s where only the rich will be able to afford college.
Time truly IS a circle lol. I joked that the dogshit economy we are in is very similar to the issues plaguing everyone in the 2000s prior to the Great Recession.
Twaddle
1. The cost of college back then, specifically public universities, did not limit applicants to the rich,
2, For some, predominantly males, there GI Bill money to help back then (and even now I believe).
3. These days, particularly at elite schools, there is a ton of scholarship money available.
Crazy how UVM was once a destination school and now they are becoming an afterthought. Colleges aren't the only ones likely to downsize in the coming decade. I feel like K-12 schools may as well with the average number of children per household dwindling the last like 20 years. Can see many school systems merge/consolidate or outright close.
Are you looking over my shoulder?
Don't know if any of these replies are true:
Electrical engineering get cut????
![]()
At least right now the unemployment is OK. It isn't what it was/is in 2008.
Being a millennial I would say nearly all my friends lost at least one job in the Great Recession.
I get the Gen Z complaints about COL, but at least they have a job, when back then, people were graduating with advanced degrees (including ones now in demand) and thinking they'd be working at Starbucks if they were lucky.
Electrical engineers are not electricians.It's OK, we don't need electricity, nor statistics, nor people who understand Middle Eastern languages or Russian. We will just translate with our phones...and not...plug them in?
Something something AI something something plumber, am I right...people celebrating this would say.
And Cuse I agree is overpriced for what it is but this is happening at public schools. WVU cut all their language programs. So if you're a kid that grew up there and have any interest in diplomacy, translation, literature...too damn bad. That isn't right.
Oh, no, no, no, some will say. The AI data centers are going to drain the electrical grids, leaving none for the little people!!!Electrical engineers are not electricians.
The trades, that some say will save or are still an option for the future, will still be there. So our lights will stay on, our air conditioners will get fixed, etc.
As for the other things, consolidation is on the horizon… They won’t go completely away. They will be just there will be less schools that offer these majors
Until they are real robots, that line of work will be safe.Oh, no, no, no, some will say. The AI data centers are going to drain the electrical grids, leaving none for the little people!!!![]()
I figured out how to address my HVAC system that was not cooling our house yesterday using Grok. Saved myself a service call!
Just wait-the firefighting robots will start replacing humans some day!![]()
My post was tongue in cheek, but I had to check with Grok and asked if any fire departments are using them.Until they are real robots, that line of work will be safe.
free for under 60K wtf????1. Yes. Because it was free, for example, at U of California schools. Gee, wonder who changed that...
2. Yeah I'm sure everyone is running to sign up.
3. Yes at the Ivies. And sure, tuition at RU is free for families earning under 60k. That leaves a huge gap.
And no, it's not an acceptable solution for kids to "just go to community college", as offered by people who went to Berkeley and CUNY for exactly 0 tuition dollars. Someone credentialed for RU, which these days means 1370 SAT average or better, does NOT belong at Brookdale so the rich skate by.
Crazy how UVM was once a destination school and now they are becoming an afterthought. Colleges aren't the only ones likely to downsize in the coming decade. I feel like K-12 schools may as well with the average number of children per household dwindling the last like 20 years. Can see many school systems merge/consolidate or outright close.

My post was tongue in cheek, but I had to check with Grok and asked if any fire departments are using them.
I was surprised--but to your point, not used for the bread and butter work of interior firefighting. They seem to be useful for defensive operations. Also may be useful in wildland fires:
Types of Robots in Use
- Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD): Has used the Thermite RS3 (a tracked, remote-operated robotic firefighting vehicle from Howe & Howe) since late 2020. It delivers up to thousands of gallons of water per minute and has responded to dozens of commercial structure fires in defensive operations. LAFD has also deployed robot dogs (e.g., Boston Dynamics Spot or similar) for reconnaissance in tunnels and hazardous areas.
fireapparatusmagazine.com- Paris Fire Brigade (France): Deployed the Colossus robot (from Shark Robotics) during the 2019 Notre-Dame Cathedral fire. It operated inside the burning structure where humans couldn't go, extinguishing hotspots and clearing debris. The department continues to use similar robots for various missions.
shark-robotics.com- Other U.S. and international departments:
- FDNY (New York) uses Boston Dynamics Spot robot dogs for reconnaissance, sensor work, and stair navigation.
fireapparatusmagazine.com- Departments in the UK (e.g., Kent Fire and Rescue), China (Qingdao and others with Unitree robot dogs), South Korea (Hyundai-developed robots), and Ukraine have adopted firefighting or support robots.
unitree.com
These robots don't fully replace firefighters—they assist by providing reconnaissance, suppressing fires remotely, and handling tasks in "immediately dangerous to life or health" (IDLH) environments. Adoption is growing but limited by cost (advanced units can run $200k–$300k+), so larger or well-funded departments lead the way.
- Tracked vehicles (like Thermite RS3 or Colossus): Heavy-duty units with water/foam cannons, designed for direct fire suppression.
- Quadruped "robot dogs": Agile for scouting, thermal imaging, gas detection, navigating rubble/stairs, and sometimes light suppression or rescue support.
- Drones and aerial robots: Widely used for overhead monitoring and mapping, especially in wildfires.
wfca.com
The technology is advancing quickly, with more departments testing or deploying them for both urban and wildland fires.
Actually, every generation has had stretches of difficulty. Talk to Boomers who graduated college in 1974 or 1975 about the job market after the Oil Embargo. Or the late 70's early 80s dealing with stagflation. That's not to minimize the difficulties of later generations, it's just that the myth that every Boomer getting a 6 figure (adjusted for inflation) job offer after majoring in poetry is just that, a myth.
In my lifetime the best entry level job picture was in the late 90's. It disappeared shortly thereafter.
Electrical engineers are not electricians.
The trades, that some say will save or are an option for the future, will still be there. So our lights will stay on, our air conditioners will get fixed, etc.
As for the other things, consolidation is on the horizon… They won’t go completely away. There will be just less schools that offer these majors.
Oh, no, no, no, some will say. The AI data centers are going to drain the electrical grids, leaving none for the little people!!!![]()
I figured out how to address my HVAC system that was not cooling our house yesterday using Grok. Saved myself a service call!
Just wait-the firefighting robots will start replacing humans some day!
free for under 60K wtf????
They are not going away.Didn't say they were. They are essential however.
Maybe it's me but I kind of feel like we need more engineers and people who speak foreign languages, not fewer. Relying on AI and/or shrugging it off because the powers that be are spending money on nonsense rather than education is a recipe for disaster.
The Great Recession is the second largest economic calamity in US history second only to the depression. It's not really close. And same to Gen Z- while the economy is putrid now it is wonderful compared to 08.
The boomers could go to free college in many states, you didn't need a degree for a good job then AND the cost of a home relative to income was a much lower multiple. It's not even close. They had it the easiest, and then have totally destroyed much of the safety they had for everyone else.
At least, I guess, they're going to leave the house they bought for 100k and is now worth a million to the next generation.
They are not going away.
As pointed out there are schools that just aren’t getting the students who are interested in some of these majors and programs. Why would an institution (especially a private one) keep selling something no one is buying?
I’ve seen it first hand with my own. One is a civil engineer and the other an architecture major who just graduated.
There were fewer in the engineering class compared to when the older one graduated a few years ago. Same across the board in all the engineering majors offered. The younger one who just graduated was the end of the peak of births, 2003. I’ve seen it in sports too at the HS and club level…there are just less kids.
Free college in multiple states? Not in NJ, NY, CT, RI, Mass, Pa., VT, NH, ME , Ohio, Mich and even Texas, though it was dirt cheap in that state and still is. I have direct knowledge of those states. What states are you talking about?
Unemployment? Early '81 was worse than the Great Recession. The 1975 rate was essentially the same. And what good jobs that you didn't need a degree for 50 years ago do you need one for now?
Housing? You mean the days of 8-10% mortgages? And what generations are you talking about? There are gyrations of prices in both states over multiple generations.
Boomers destroyed the safety net? Boomers SAVED the safety net as without their numbers and youth in the 1979 - 1983 time period Social Security would have gone bankrupt. The Reagan - O'Neill compromise bought a generation to fix things further. That it didn't happen was/is a failure that ALL generations from the Greatest Generation through Gen Z share responsibility for. And who did the best under Social Security, and for that matter Medicare? My grandparent's generation, the generation preceding the Greatest Generation.
www.forbes.com
| College | GPA | Financial Grade | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | 4.34 | A+ | Princeton | NJ |
| Seton Hall University | 3.03 | B | South Orange | NJ |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | 2.87 | B- | Hoboken | NJ |
| Monmouth University | 2.73 | B- | West Long Branch | NJ |
| Georgian Court University | 2.54 | C+ | NJ | |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | 1.82 | C- | Teaneck | NJ |
| Pillar College | 1.5 | D | NJ | |
| Saint Elizabeth University | 1.48 | D | NJ | |
| Centenary University | 1.43 | D | NJ | |
| Saint Peter's University | 1.42 | D | Jersey City | NJ |
| Caldwell University | 1.41 | D | NJ | |
| Drew University | 0.87 | D | Madison | NJ |
| Rider University | 0.63 | D | Lawrenceville | NJ |
| Felician University | 0.56 | D | NJ |
| College | GPA | Financial Grade | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Juilliard School | 4.5 | A+ | New York | NY |
| Colgate University | 4.5 | A+ | Hamilton | NY |
| Hamilton College | 4.5 | A+ | Clinton | NY |
| Columbia University | 4.5 | A+ | New York | NY |
| Hofstra University | 4.5 | A+ | Hempstead | NY |
| Union College (NY) | 4.46 | A+ | Schenectady | NY |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 4.45 | A+ | Rochester | NY |
| Skidmore College | 4.44 | A+ | Saratoga Springs | NY |
| Syracuse University | 4.42 | A+ | Syracuse | NY |
| Vassar College | 4.4 | A+ | Poughkeepsie | NY |
| Cornell University | 4.22 | A | Ithaca | NY |
| Cooper Union | 4.18 | A | New York | NY |
| Le Moyne College | 4.18 | A | Syracuse | NY |
| Marist College | 4.1 | A | Poughkeepsie | NY |
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges | 4.05 | A | Geneva | NY |
| LIU Post | 4.03 | A | Greenvale | NY |
| Iona University | 4.02 | A | New Rochelle | NY |
| Pratt Institute | 3.85 | A- | Brooklyn | NY |
| Barnard College | 3.64 | B+ | New York | NY |
| St. Lawrence University | 3.59 | B+ | Canton | NY |
| Saint John Fisher University | 3.5 | B+ | Rochester | NY |
| Ithaca College | 3.48 | B+ | Ithaca | NY |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 3.47 | B+ | NY | |
| St. John's University (NY) | 3.42 | B+ | Queens | NY |
| University of Rochester | 3.37 | B+ | Rochester | NY |
| New York University | 3.27 | B | New York | NY |
| New York School of Interior Design | 3.17 | B | NY | |
| Alfred University | 3.05 | B | Alfred | NY |
| Mercy University | 2.98 | B- | NY | |
| Houghton College | 2.96 | B- | Houghton | NY |
| Mount Saint Mary College | 2.89 | B- | NY | |
| New York Institute of Technology | 2.88 | B- | Old Westbury | NY |
| Fordham University | 2.85 | B- | Bronx | NY |
| Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz | 2.85 | B- | NY | |
| Bard College | 2.82 | B- | Annandale-on-Hudson | NY |
| Adelphi University | 2.81 | B- | Garden City | NY |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 2.74 | B- | Troy | NY |
| Sarah Lawrence College | 2.72 | B- | Bronxville | NY |
| Canisius University | 2.56 | C+ | Buffalo | NY |
| Molloy College | 2.52 | C+ | Rockville Centre | NY |
| St Bonaventure University | 2.43 | C+ | St. Bonaventure | NY |
| Siena College | 2.42 | C+ | Loudonville | NY |
| Touro University | 2.41 | C+ | New York | NY |
| Rabbinical Seminary of America | 2.38 | C+ | NY | |
| New School | 2.33 | C+ | New York | NY |
| Yeshivath Viznitz | 2.3 | C | NY | |
| Wagner College | 2.3 | C | Staten Island | NY |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 2.28 | C | NY | |
| St. Joseph's College (NY) | 2.27 | C | Brooklyn | NY |
| Russell Sage College | 2.24 | C | Troy | NY |
| Manhattan School of Music | 2.23 | C | New York | NY |
| Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | 2.09 | C | NY | |
| Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion | 2.08 | C | NY | |
| D'Youville University | 2.02 | C | Buffalo | NY |
| St. Thomas Aquinas College | 1.94 | C- | Sparkill | NY |
| Mesivta Torah Vodaath Rabbinical Seminary | 1.89 | C- | NY | |
| Keuka College | 1.86 | C- | NY | |
| Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel | 1.85 | C- | NY | |
| College of Mount Saint Vincent | 1.8 | C- | Riverdale | NY |
| Metropolitan College of New York | 1.78 | C- | NY | |
| Yeshiva University | 1.75 | C- | New York | NY |
| Talmudical Seminary of Bobov | 1.74 | C- | NY | |
| Dominican University New York | 1.68 | D | NY | |
| United Talmudical Seminary | 1.66 | D | NY | |
| Yeshiva Kollel Tifereth Elizer | 1.66 | D | NY | |
| Clarkson University | 1.57 | D | Potsdam | NY |
| Pace University | 1.56 | D | New York | NY |
| Elmira College | 1.45 | D | Elmira | NY |
| Manhattanville College | 1.4 | D | Purchase | NY |
| Manhattan University | 1.38 | D | Riverdale | NY |
| Daemen University | 1.25 | D | NY | |
| Marymount Manhattan College | 1.24 | D | NY | |
| Hartwick College | 1.18 | D | Oneonta | NY |
| St. Francis College | 0.99 | D | Brooklyn | NY |
| Hilbert College | 0.91 | D | NY | |
| Niagara University | 0.9 | D | Niagara University | NY |
| Utica University | 0.46 | D | NY | |
| Villa Maria College | 0.4 | D | NY | |
| Boricua College | 0.33 | D | NY |
| College | GPA | Financial Grade | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haverford College | 4.5 | A+ | Haverford | PA |
| Bryn Mawr College | 4.5 | A+ | Bryn Mawr | PA |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 4.5 | A+ | Pittsburgh | PA |
| Lafayette College | 4.5 | A+ | Easton | PA |
| University of Pennsylvania | 4.5 | A+ | Philadelphia | PA |
| Dickinson College | 4.5 | A+ | Carlisle | PA |
| Lehigh University | 4.5 | A+ | Bethlehem | PA |
| Villanova University | 4.5 | A+ | Villanova | PA |
| Swarthmore College | 4.5 | A+ | Swarthmore | PA |
| Bucknell University | 4.5 | A+ | Lewisburg | PA |
| Allegheny College | 4.5 | A+ | Meadville | PA |
| Muhlenberg College | 4.38 | A+ | Allentown | PA |
| Gettysburg College | 4.11 | A | Gettysburg | PA |
| Franklin and Marshall College | 4.09 | A | Lancaster | PA |
| Duquesne University | 4.09 | A | Pittsburgh | PA |
| Lycoming College | 4.08 | A | Williamsport | PA |
| Susquehanna University | 4.02 | A | Selinsgrove | PA |
| Saint Vincent College | 3.89 | A- | Latrobe | PA |
| Saint Joseph's University (PA) | 3.8 | A- | Philadelphia | PA |
| Washington & Jefferson College | 3.79 | A- | Washington | PA |
| Thomas Jefferson University | 3.56 | B+ | Philadelphia | PA |
| Wilson College | 3.47 | B+ | PA | |
| Mount Aloysius College | 3.41 | B+ | PA | |
| University of Scranton | 3.39 | B+ | Scranton | PA |
| King's College (PA) | 3.22 | B | Wilkes-Barre | PA |
| York College of Pennsylvania | 3.17 | B | PA | |
| Moravian University | 3.09 | B | Bethlehem | PA |
| Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine | 3.02 | B | PA | |
| Geneva College | 3.02 | B | PA | |
| Westminster College (PA) | 3.02 | B | New Wilmington | PA |
| Lebanon Valley College | 2.9 | B- | Annville | PA |
| Holy Family University | 2.86 | B- | PA | |
| Cedar Crest College | 2.77 | B- | Allentown | PA |
| Juniata College | 2.66 | C+ | Huntingdon | PA |
| Messiah University | 2.56 | C+ | Mechanicsburg | PA |
| Ursinus College | 2.5 | C+ | Collegeville | PA |
| Drexel University | 2.44 | C+ | Philadelphia | PA |
| Peirce College | 2.36 | C+ | PA | |
| Eastern University | 2.31 | C+ | PA | |
| Thiel College | 2.2 | C | PA | |
| Seton Hill University | 2.17 | C | Greensburg | PA |
| Elizabethtown College | 2.14 | C | Elizabethtown | PA |
| Gwynedd Mercy University | 2.12 | C | PA | |
| Marywood University | 2.04 | C | PA | |
| Point Park University | 1.88 | C- | PA | |
| Widener University | 1.88 | C- | Chester | PA |
| Gannon University | 1.8 | C- | PA | |
| Waynesburg University | 1.63 | D | PA | |
| Immaculata University | 1.51 | D | Immaculata | PA |
| La Salle University | 1.43 | D | Philadelphia | PA |
| Lancaster Bible College | 1.41 | D | PA | |
| Saint Francis University | 1.26 | D | Loretto | PA |
| Alvernia University | 1.17 | D | PA | |
| Mercyhurst University | 1.08 | D | PA | |
| Rosemont College | 0.99 | D | PA | |
| Neumann University | 0.89 | D | PA | |
| Delaware Valley University | 0.86 | D | PA | |
| Carlow University | 0.81 | D | PA | |
| Chestnut Hill College | 0.8 | D | PA | |
| La Roche University | 0.79 | D | PA | |
| Cairn University-Langhorne | 0.79 | D | PA | |
| Albright College | 0.73 | D | Reading | PA |
| University of Valley Forge | 0.55 | D | PA | |
| Harrisburg University of Science and Technology | 0.46 | D | PA | |
| Keystone College | 0.28 | D | PA |
Rider in 5 years will close or merge with TCNJ IMO. I think theyre in dire straights.Forbes:
Financial Report Card: The Weakest And Strongest Private Colleges In America
https://www.forbes.com/sites/schifr...st-and-strongest-private-colleges-in-america/
(Use reading mode in Chrome)
Another institution plundering its endowment for survival is D-graded Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, with 3,700 students and a near 80% acceptance rate. Already on financial probation with its accrediting agency, it recently fired 25% of its faculty, cut pay by 14% and agreed to sell 56-acres of its campus, including the president's house, for $10 million.
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Forbes College Financial Grades 2026
Forbes annual College Financial Grades assesses the financial health of more than 900 private not-for-profit colleges with enrollment of more than 500 students.www.forbes.com
Forbes annual College Financial Grades assesses the financial health of more than 900 private not-for-profit colleges with enrollment of more than 500 students. For 2026, Forbes has revamped its analysis, thanks to novel data from Perspective Data Science, which zeroes in on colleges' true liquidity. Our ranking shows a stark disparity among private colleges. While the elite selective schools, with grades of A+ and A remain healthy and strong, a large number of colleges with near open admissions policies and sagging enrollment are on life support. Nearly half of the colleges we graded scored C or worse. Even more alarming, 27% of the institutions received our lowest grade of D, and many were found to be plundering their endowments to survive.
Financial Grades of NJ Private Colleges
College GPA Financial Grade City State Princeton University 4.34 A+ Princeton NJ Seton Hall University 3.03 B South Orange NJ Stevens Institute of Technology 2.87 B- Hoboken NJ Monmouth University 2.73 B- West Long Branch NJ Georgian Court University 2.54 C+ NJ Fairleigh Dickinson University 1.82 C- Teaneck NJ Pillar College 1.5 D NJ Saint Elizabeth University 1.48 D NJ Centenary University 1.43 D NJ Saint Peter's University 1.42 D Jersey City NJ Caldwell University 1.41 D NJ Drew University 0.87 D Madison NJ Rider University 0.63 D Lawrenceville NJ Felician University 0.56 D NJ
most of those schools should shutRider in 5 years will close or merge with TCNJ IMO. I think theyre in dire straights.
Forbes:
Financial Report Card: The Weakest And Strongest Private Colleges In America
https://www.forbes.com/sites/schifr...st-and-strongest-private-colleges-in-america/
(Use reading mode in Chrome)
Another institution plundering its endowment for survival is D-graded Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, with 3,700 students and a near 80% acceptance rate. Already on financial probation with its accrediting agency, it recently fired 25% of its faculty, cut pay by 14% and agreed to sell 56-acres of its campus, including the president's house, for $10 million.
![]()
![]()
Forbes College Financial Grades 2026
Forbes annual College Financial Grades assesses the financial health of more than 900 private not-for-profit colleges with enrollment of more than 500 students.www.forbes.com
Forbes annual College Financial Grades assesses the financial health of more than 900 private not-for-profit colleges with enrollment of more than 500 students. For 2026, Forbes has revamped its analysis, thanks to novel data from Perspective Data Science, which zeroes in on colleges' true liquidity. Our ranking shows a stark disparity among private colleges. While the elite selective schools, with grades of A+ and A remain healthy and strong, a large number of colleges with near open admissions policies and sagging enrollment are on life support. Nearly half of the colleges we graded scored C or worse. Even more alarming, 27% of the institutions received our lowest grade of D, and many were found to be plundering their endowments to survive.
Financial Grades of NJ Private Colleges
College GPA Financial Grade City State Princeton University 4.34 A+ Princeton NJ Seton Hall University 3.03 B South Orange NJ Stevens Institute of Technology 2.87 B- Hoboken NJ Monmouth University 2.73 B- West Long Branch NJ Georgian Court University 2.54 C+ NJ Fairleigh Dickinson University 1.82 C- Teaneck NJ Pillar College 1.5 D NJ Saint Elizabeth University 1.48 D NJ Centenary University 1.43 D NJ Saint Peter's University 1.42 D Jersey City NJ Caldwell University 1.41 D NJ Drew University 0.87 D Madison NJ Rider University 0.63 D Lawrenceville NJ Felician University 0.56 D NJ