Facing operating deficits exceeding $20 million in back-to-back fiscal years, Barnard has implemented a series of aggressive measures, including sweeping staff layoffs, restricting cross enrollment at Columbia, and a tuition hike that placed Barnard among the most expensive colleges in the United States. Those efforts appear to have worked.

Columbia piloted a program to “de-densify” its class schedule for the spring 2026 semester by implementing a 40 percent distributional cap on courses scheduled to start between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., several faculty members confirmed to Spectator. The program includes 10 of the University’s largest undergraduate departments.