The Bottom 50
🎓 A Map of Academic Peril
Welcome to the heat map no admissions counselor wants to see.
This interactive visualization highlights the 50 most at-risk private universities in the United States, based on their Collegiate Survivability Index (CSI). If you’ve ever wondered which institutions are skating on thin financial ice while wearing tap shoes, this is your moment.
🔥 What Are You Looking At?
This map displays each of the lowest-ranking 50 private universities using a color-coded circle marker:
- The deeper the red, the more critical the situation.
- The brighter the yellow, the less urgent—but still, it’s not exactly sunshine and roses.
- Hover or click on any dot to see details: institution name, city/state, CSI score, and national survivability rank.
We’ve also included a legend with lovingly ominous labels like:
- Severe Risk
- Dire
- Bleak
- Still in Trouble
(We almost named the lowest tier “May God Have Mercy,” but Ghost has a spam filter.)
📉 How Did These Schools End Up Here?
Each school’s CSI score is based on a mix of:
- đź“Š Market saturation
- 🎓 Academic efficiency
- đź’¸ Financial stability (based on 2028 projections)
Together, these data points create a survivability score that lets us rank institutions from healthiest to... well... currently plotting a bake sale to stay open.
✍️ Why It Matters
While we present this with some levity, the consequences are real. A growing number of institutions are experiencing extreme enrollment pressures, aging infrastructure, and fiscal shortfalls. This tool is meant to spark conversation, transparency, and strategy — not schadenfreude.
🧠What’s Next?
This page will evolve. Over the next few weeks, we’re releasing:
- A refined version of the Collegiate Survivability Index
- A breakdown of the top 50 elite survivors (the envy of the ivory tower)
- Denominational performance maps (yes, Baptists, we see you)
- Enhanced filters for searching and comparing institutions
Until then, explore the map, hover with abandon, and feel free to send me an email at james_long@friends.edu with questions, corrections, or fan mail from your favorite registrar.