The Trump administration is shifting its approach to higher education oversight, moving from conducting investigations at individual campuses to rewriting federal regulations that would affect thousands of universities nationwide.

A year ago, the administration opened investigations at dozens of colleges and threatened to cut federal funding to enforce compliance with administration priorities. Officials announced more than 70 such investigations in 2025, compared to roughly a dozen so far this year, according to an Associated Press analysis.

"We're coming over the higher education system and course correcting," said Nicholas Kent, undersecretary for the Education Department. Unlike investigations targeting individual campuses, he said the regulatory approach has power "to affect 6,000 institutions."

The shift comes after federal judges blocked the administration from cutting funding at Harvard and UCLA. At least 11 new rules have been proposed by the Education Department, including changes to the accreditation process that would require colleges to demonstrate "intellectual diversity." Other proposed rules would require federal grant recipients to certify they don't have diversity, equity and inclusion policies deemed unlawful by the administration.

The regulatory approach targets many of the same issues that prompted earlier investigations, including diversity policies, transgender athlete participation, and practices the administration views as discriminatory. A proposal from the Office of Management and Budget would require agencies to ensure federal grants "advance the President's policy priorities."

Some higher education leaders view the regulatory process as preferable to direct investigations. "We're playing a game that has rules and referees, and that's good," said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. "It gives us an opportunity to talk about where we might agree with the administration."

Meanwhile, many campuses have already made changes in response to federal pressure, including closing diversity offices and tightening campus protest rules. The administration continues to pursue cases against universities, particularly focusing on college admissions practices following the Supreme Court's 2023 decision striking down affirmative action.