Our Lady of the Lake University Launches New Career-Focused Degrees After Steep Enrollment Decline

San Antonio, TX – In response to a dramatic drop in enrollment over the past decade, Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) has announced a major academic restructuring, eliminating multiple programs and pivoting toward new career-focused degree offerings. The changes come as the university seeks to stabilize financially and align more closely with workforce demand.

Enrollment Decline and Program Cuts

Over the last ten years, OLLU has seen its student body shrink by approximately 46 percent, decreasing from 3,334 students in 2015 to roughly 1,800 today. As a result of the enrollment decline, the university cut 16 academic programs during the fall semester. These cuts were part of a broader cost-saving initiative designed to address revenue challenges associated with the declining student population.

The Pivot: New Degrees and Workforce-Readiness Initiatives

To adapt to changing market needs, OLLU is introducing several new degree programs aimed at preparing students for in-demand careers. These include:

• an MBA in Healthcare Management
• a Bachelor’s in Logistics and Supply-Chain Management
• a General Business Bachelor’s that combines accounting, finance, management, sales, and marketing into a versatile major

In addition, the university is launching a workforce-readiness initiative that will offer students paid internships, boot-camp training, mentoring, and professional development support. This effort is supported by a $1.25 million anonymous scholarship donation and a $150,000 grant from H-E-B, and is expected to benefit about 600 students, many of whom come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

University officials say the new programs are intended to strengthen pathways to employment and provide students with skills that align with regional workforce needs.

What This Restructuring Signals for Small Colleges

OLLU’s strategy reflects a broader trend among small colleges responding to demographic and financial pressures. As enrollment declines continue to affect many private and regional institutions, colleges are shifting their focus toward career-oriented programs in fields such as business, healthcare, and logistics. These moves aim to attract new students, improve job placement outcomes, and increase institutional resilience.

For colleges serving large populations of first-generation or underserved students, the pivot toward workforce-relevant programs may play a key role in both mission alignment and financial sustainability.

What to Watch

Several factors will determine how successful OLLU’s restructuring will be:

• Accreditation progress: The university expects to receive approval for the new degrees by the next academic year.
• Enrollment response: Whether the updated academic offerings help reverse the decade-long enrollment decline.
• Student outcomes: The effectiveness of the new programs in improving job placement and career mobility.
• Financial stability: Whether the combination of program cuts, new degree offerings, and external funding support is enough to stabilize long-term operations.

As OLLU implements these changes, its experience may illustrate how other small colleges can respond to similar challenges in the national higher-education landscape.