University of North Texas Cuts 70+ Programs to Close $45 Million Deficit — Linguistics, Women's Studies and 25 Minors Among the Casualties

The University of North Texas announced Thursday it is cutting or consolidating more than 70 academic programs, minors and certificates to address a projected $45 million budget deficit — the first concrete indication of how the Denton-based university plans to close a shortfall its president has described as "structural," meaning the underlying causes are not going away on their own.

In a message to faculty and staff on March 19, UNT President Harrison Keller and Provost Michael McPherson outlined the most sweeping academic restructuring in the university's recent history. The most significant change: the Department of Linguistics will be merged with the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, with all linguistics degree programs phased out entirely. Also being eliminated: a bachelor's degree in Latino and Latin American Studies, a master's program in Women's and Gender Studies, and a master's program in Media Industry and Critical Studies. Among the 25 undergraduate minors being cut are LGBTQ Studies, Mexican American Studies, Africana Studies, Asian Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, and language minors in Arabic, Italian and Latin.

New students will not be able to enroll in affected programs. Students already enrolled will be able to complete their degrees as planned.

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

UNT's $45 million deficit is larger than the $31.2 million deficit budget that was originally approved for FY 2026. The gap widened because two financial pressures hit simultaneously and harder than expected.

The first was a steep decline in international graduate student enrollment. The Fall 2025 declines in international student enrollment were sharper than expected and amplified the existing fiscal challenges. International students typically pay significantly higher tuition than domestic students, making their enrollment a critical revenue driver at research universities. The decline at UNT is part of a national pattern: tightened visa policies, immigration enforcement fears, and global competition for international students have all contributed to falling overseas enrollment at American universities.

The second cause was a $32 million decline in state appropriations. The budget shortfall is the result of enrollment decreases — especially among international graduate students — and decreases in state formula funding for instruction and operations. The state funding cut was not an emergency reduction but a structural change to the state funding formula from the last legislative session — meaning it will persist into future years unless the formula changes again.

Keller warned the university community in February that tackling the $45 million budget gap would "inevitably require hard choices, and the impact will be felt across our university."

What Is Being Cut — and Why

The university will phase out three master's programs, one undergraduate major, 25 undergraduate minors, 21 graduate and 21 undergraduate certificates. The 25 undergraduate minors being cut have average enrollments of 20 students or fewer since 2021. The 21 graduate and 21 undergraduate certificates being phased out have average enrollments of below two students per year.

That enrollment data is the university's stated rationale for the cuts — and it is relevant. Programs with fewer than two students per year in graduate certificates are difficult to justify at scale. But the specific programs being eliminated tell a more complicated story.

The cuts come amid a broader political climate in which Texas public universities have faced pressure from state Republican leaders and conservative activists to limit teaching about gender, race and sexuality. Last fall, the UNT System ordered a review of its courses, which some university systems said was meant to ensure compliance with an executive order from President Donald Trump, a directive from Gov. Greg Abbott, and House Bill 229, all of which recognize only two sexes. It is unclear whether that review factored into Thursday's decisions.

What is clear is that the list of eliminated minors — LGBTQ Studies, Mexican American Studies, Africana Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, Asian Studies — tracks closely with the areas that have been targeted by conservative legislators across Texas. Earlier this year, Texas A&M eliminated its women's and gender studies program, while the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at San Antonio moved to consolidate similar programs. UNT's announcement is the latest entry in a pattern that has now touched multiple major Texas public university systems.

University leadership has not confirmed whether the course review played a role, and Keller's stated justification — low enrollment — is a legitimate independent reason for the specific programs chosen. The two explanations are not mutually exclusive.

What Comes Next

The program cuts announced Thursday are the first piece of a larger budget strategy. UNT on Friday did not answer questions about whether the program cuts would lead to faculty layoffs. In February the university launched a Voluntary Separation Program for faculty, and university leaders had previously warned that higher teaching loads and hiring freezes for vacant positions were also being considered.

UNT leaders said the closures and consolidations are cost-saving measures that sustain programs that lead students into good-paying jobs. "This move is part of a broader effort to position UNT for long-term stability and strengthen academic and career pathways," the statement said.

Growing revenue will be one of the chief strategies to stabilize the structural budget deficit. Increasing enrollment will both strengthen an important revenue stream and play a central role in reducing the budget deficit. Student retention is also of primary importance for revenue growth. UNT's new strategic plan, Look North: UNT 2030, outlines goals for improving student retention and increasing enrollments through the end of the decade.

The university is also talking with other institutions in the region to design pathways for students who are interested in pursuing credentials that UNT does not offer. For students currently exploring programs in linguistics, Latino studies, or women's and gender studies, that pathway planning will be critical — even as the details remain unclear.

The full list of affected programs is available at unt.edu/budget-updates.