On any given day when the weather is nice, a drive or walk through Greek Village at the University of South Carolina will usually give a snapshot into the life of fraternity and sorority members and their experiences living in their chapter facilities. You can usually find sorority women reading, catching up with a sister, or working on their class assignments while sitting on the iconic front porch swings. All the while, our fraternity men could be partaking in a serious game of pick-up football or practicing their putting.
While these students may call their mansion-style facilities home, I cannot help but think about what this community is going to look like as we further approach the looming “enrollment cliff.” Sure, we know that students are coming to our various campuses and universities for the fraternity and sorority experience, but living in a vacuum free from the reality of what research shows us is unfortunately not an option. We know that the sharp birth declines in 2008 play a big role in what we will see with the incoming classes starting in the Fall of 2025 (Nietzel, 2024). As colleges and universities brace for this significant shift, we ask ourselves a critical question: with the impending enrollment cliff and anticipated declines in student numbers, are fraternity and sorority housing programs on the brink of encountering serious challenges? This looming uncertainty begs the question: will the ripple effect of reduced enrollment (i.e., fewer students on campus) lead to declining memberships, strained finances, and uncertain futures for our chapters? I hope not, but let’s talk about it!
Understanding the Enrollment Cliff
According to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), the number of high school graduates will peak around 2025 and then decline steadily into the 2030s. Some estimates suggest we will see a 15% drop in overall college enrollment in various states, with even steeper declines projected across some regions (Lane, et. al, 2024).
A key factor in the conversation that will impact colleges is the variation estimated across geographic regions. It is projected that campuses in the Northeast and Midwest regions, already reporting population stagnation and decline, are expected to be hit the hardest. Meanwhile, those of us who are located in the South (Southeast especially) and portions of the West may experience enrollment issues, but at a much less dramatic shift due to growing populations and increased interest of students to attend institutions in these areas. While many things are still up in the air, one thing is for certain: competition for students will be alive and well. With a shrinking pool of students, institutions will need to aggressively compete, rethink recruiting strategies, and fiscally plan more than they may have in the past. As these pressures mount, we are left still thinking, what does this mean for the long-standing tradition of fraternity and sorority life?
Fraternities & Sororities Today
As long as any of us can remember or historical documents can show, fraternities and sororities have long played a central role in the American college campus experience. We are seeing more and more students coming to college. A big part of their desired experience is to join our various communities, find those connections, identify their future bridesmaids/groomsmen, and align themselves with our values, missions, and causes. Nationally, millions are affiliated with fraternities and sororities. Reports from 2021 (just a year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic) estimate more than 6,000 fraternity and sorority chapters with an estimated 750,000 active undergraduate members across the United States (Barshay, 2021). With roots stretching back to the early 19th century, we know that our organizations provide various benefits of membership: deep social and professional networks, leadership opportunities, and increased sense of belonging. We even have the reputation of housing programs that take form in stately brick mansions with crystal chandeliers and huge kitchens on the row, to quaint homes passed down from member to member in the neighborhoods surrounding campuses.
A Ripple Effect: Understanding the Possible Membership Decline
Recruitment is the lifeblood of our organizations and communities– the threat of a shrinking student body has the potential to lead to smaller new member classes. When we are not able to maintain the status quo of typical recruitment practices, we threaten the needed operations of our organizations and chapters (Nietzel, 2024). Fraternity/sorority advisors must act and begin planning now with our organizations and various stakeholders to address this potential threat. Fewer members means a smaller pool to take leadership roles, plan events, and maintain rituals and traditions.
Financially, the impact is even more stark. Those organizations with facilities or houses rely on rent from live-in members, and possibly meal plans, to pay for mortgage payments, utilities, and upkeep. When beds go unfilled, chapters may dip into savings, raise membership dues, or rely more heavily on alumni and other external donation streams. But these solutions are often temporary at best.
Ultimately, membership decline is not just a numbers problem—it strikes at the heart of what makes the fraternal movement vibrant: community, connection, and continuity. So, what does this have to do with chapter facilities and fraternity/sorority housing programs?
Financial Stress on Chapters & Their Houses
Even when operating with a large membership roster, running fraternity and sorority houses is an expensive undertaking. The forecasted demographic shift threatens not only membership experiences but the financial viability of many chapters, especially those with longstanding fixed costs. Mortgage payments, utilities, maintenance, insurance, and staffing represent non-negotiable expenditures that do not scale down as membership declines, thus creating acute fiscal stress for house corporations.
As revenue from membership declines, some chapters may resort to less reliable strategies to address budget shortfalls. For example, while alumni donations might temporarily help cover operational costs or facility deficits, the sustained level of giving required to fully fund these expenses is unlikely to be maintained over time. Without a stable and recurring revenue stream driven by strong membership numbers, the financial models of many chapters become increasingly fragile, raising the risk of persistent budget deficits, unpaid expenses and fees, or even insolvency.
While membership is a concern, our housing programs are also at risk. With the decrease in membership and funds, they would be unable to meet the fixed-cost needs. National organizations, particularly those with heavy investment in residential models, and house corporations alike could face the tough decision of needing to sell parts or whole properties, causing facility closures, not to mention impacting the member experience.
Operational Adjustments & Survival Strategies
With the cliff on the horizon, organizations and universities across the country are undertaking strategic shifts in their operations to try and plan for the potential of shrinking memberships and financial constraints, all aimed at survival and sustainability. For most, the traditional practices of recruiting will not cut it, and they have to explore adapting their practices with unconventional approaches to remain relevant, viable, and showcase that their campus or chapter is where students want to be. It is not just about how you can get them in the door, but how new strategies can be employed to not only get them in the door, but also make the decision about their “new home” for the next four years.
Traditional recruitment or “rush” events are adapting in ways to be more inclusive and embrace continuous recruitment strategies. We see both institutions and organizations leveraging tools and social media to meet the students where they spend most of their time: online. Social media campaigns, virtual meet-and-greets, various live streams, and year-round outreach strategies are being utilized to expand their appeal beyond the typical demographic pool or regional focus to which they are accustomed.
Alumni engagement is a critical endeavor now more than ever before. It is no longer just a fundraising mechanism, it is now a fundamental component of chapter longevity. The use of networking is an age-old recruitment tool, but by strengthening this intergenerational system for mentorship and programmatic support, chapters can enhance their visibility and relevance while continuing the shift towards value-based branding and recruitment.
These operational pivots are not just for the sake of attracting the best of the best for the next new member class – they are essential. Utilizing these strategic pivots signals that the future of the fraternal movement and experience will not solely be based on, or shaped by nostalgia, but by a willingness to evolve in tandem with the changing landscape of higher education.
Big vs. Small: Unequal Impact Across Campuses and Organizations
As if the threat of the enrollment cliff were not enough, we also have to face the reality that, while impacting all organizations and universities, it will affect groups in disparate ways and amplify already existing inequalities across institutional types, regions, councils, and organizations. Through the work of WICHE, the research indicates the cliff will not be uniform in its impact, allowing large public universities and FSL communities in the South and Sun Belt states to experience a more tempered and insulated impact.
Looking across the types of organizations, historically Black Greek Letter Organizations and culturally-based groups occupy a unique position within the landscape while preparing for the enrollment cliff. While these organizations are relatively smaller in size and differ in operations when compared to their NIC and NPC counterparts, these same characteristics render them more agile and community-focused. Knowing that these groups typically have a longstanding emphasis on cultural heritage and connectedness, service, and resilience aligns with the values of an increasingly diverse and socially conscious student population. Through their deepened alliance with multicultural centers, expanding mentorship pipelines, and enhancing professional development opportunities, these organizations may not only weather the coming cliff but also emerge stronger.
So, What is at Stake?
The experience that is fraternity and sorority life is more than just parties, social events, and letter shirts. At its best, it offers a powerful platform for student leadership, community service, and lifelong friends and connections. Many alumni credit their career success to the experiences they have had since joining their organizations. A decline in students has the potential to impact the housing experience and program that so many of us work hard to implement and maintain. With a decrease in students on the horizon, so is a larger domino effect. A decline in membership is a decline in housing that does not just affect current students – it alters the campus experience. The houses and facilities that our organizations use serve as gathering spaces, philanthropic hubs, and centers for nostalgia and longstanding memories.
As the enrollment cliff will reshape the landscape of higher education, the question is not simply whether fraternity and sorority life can survive, but whether the values it claims to represent can continue to be offered in other forms.
The enrollment cliff represents more than a dip in college applications—it signals a shift in the structure of higher education. For our fraternity and sorority life communities and housing programs, the consequences could be transformative. As student populations shrink, organizations face declining membership, financial hardship, and existential questions about their future. Chapter houses that once symbolized tradition and prestige may become relics of the past unless organizations act decisively and adapt their practices.
National organizations, universities, and alumni must begin planning now. This means reassessing financial models, embracing new forms of recruitment, expanding inclusivity, and rethinking the purpose and promise of the fraternal movement.
The challenges ahead are real—but so are the opportunities. By becoming more adaptive, more community-focused, and more aligned with the needs of today’s students, fraternity/sorority life may not only survive the enrollment cliff—it may emerge stronger, more innovative, and more relevant.
The future of fraternity and sorority housing is not set in stone. It will be shaped by the choices made today—by those bold enough to reimagine what it means for fraternity/sorority membership in a rapidly changing world.
References
Barshay, J. (2021, July 29). Proof points: New poll points to college and career benefits of Greek life despite criticism. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-new-poll-points-to-college-and-career-benefits-of-greek-life-despite-criticism
Grawe, N. D. (2018). Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education. United States: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Hevel, M.S. and Bureau, D.A. (2014), Research-Driven Practice in Fraternity and Sorority Life. New Directions for Student Services, 2014: 23-36. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20098
Lane, P., Falkenstern, C., & Bransberger, P. (2024). Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates. Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
Nietzel, Michael. (n.d.). As 2025’s Demographic Cliff Looms, How Far Will College Enrollment Fall? Forbes Magazine. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2024/12/11/as-2025s-demographic-cliff-looms-how-far-will-college-enrollment-fall/
About the Author
Cody Dunlap serves as the associate director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Housing at the University of South Carolina. He earned both his B.S. and M.Ed. from Western Carolina University, where he joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Since joining USC in 2018, Cody has been dedicated to student engagement and development. Outside of work, Cody likes to volunteer, read, try new restaurants, and escape rooms.
