Inside a simulation lab at Keuka College, first-year nursing student Riley Maloney points out mannequins for practicing patient care, a crash cart for reviving "patients," and Joan, a high-tech model that can go into labor and even suffer complications.
"I know about Joan because I visited campus eight times," Maloney said. "When the baby does come out, it comes out slimy."
Maloney toured other schools but says Keuka's lakefront campus and close-knit atmosphere sealed the deal. "You get goosebumps when you walk onto campus," she said. "It's the people, the professors, administration, all of it."
That excitement comes at a difficult time for higher education.
Like other private rural colleges, Keuka saw a decline in enrollment for several years. But these last few years are different: their fall enrollment is just over 1400 students. That's up more than 12% from their lowest point in the 2022-2023 school year.
That increase makes Keuka a rare outlier in a region where peers are closing: Wells College, Medaille University, and Cazenovia College have all shut down over the last two years.
President Amy Storey, who took the helm in 2019, credits Keuka's stability to early financial restructuring.
"We began rebuilding before the pandemic struck, and I think that's been the secret to our success," she said. "We've been operating with surpluses since I became president ... at a time when other institutions are struggling."
But national experts say challenges are looming. Doug Shapiro, vice president for research at the National Student Clearinghouse, says colleges nationwide face a so-called "enrollment cliff."
"It's largely based on how many babies were born 18 years ago, and how have those children progressed year by year," Shapiro said. "New York State is projected to have by far the largest decline in the Northeast, and one of the largest declines in the nation over the next 18 years."
Experts anticipate the number of high school graduates in the state will decline by 27% by 2041. Shapiro says that decline is already hitting small, tuition-dependent colleges.
Storey's strategy has been to lean into Keuka's size.
"Our campaign that we're 'Small On Purpose' is part of that strategy," she said. "Being small is something we're proud of. We don't see it as a deficiency."
Keuka has doubled down on high-demand fields like nursing and occupational therapy while finding ways to use its lakeside campus year-round, such as hosting weddings and conferences. Storey admits tough choices, including staff layoffs, were necessary to weather financial storms.
"I think if I were starting right now, it would be too late," she said. "The pandemic could have made it too late. So we've been really lucky."
Experts like Shapiro warn that many small private colleges won't survive the next two decades, especially in Western New York. But for now, Keuka's cautious optimism sets it apart.
"You don't know what's coming next," said Storey, "but our ability to respond is something that I'm very proud of."
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