St. Cloud State Cuts 42 Degree Programs, 54 Faculty in Budget-Balancing Effort

St. Cloud State University has officially announced program and faculty member cuts in an effort to balance its budget.

St. Cloud State suffered an $18 million operating loss in 2023 and is projected to lose $15 million this year. Acting president Larry Lee announced the specific cuts in a letter to the St. Cloud State community.

42 degree programs and 50 minor programs will be eliminated, along with 54 faculty members. The cuts will decrease full-time faculty by 13%.

Among the cuts is the elimination of all programs in the school’s Department of Music. A petition was started last month in an attempt to reverse such a move.

St. Cloud State officials say dropping enrollment numbers have led to their budget issues. Enrollment at the school peaked in 2010 at a little more than 18,000 students. It now has around 10,000 students.