US universities have mixed economic outlooks, according to a survey (see http://go.nature.com/2ttkoc) of 480 private and public colleges by The Chronicle of Higher Education and Moody's Investors Service, market analysts in New York. About 90% of public universities faced declines in financial support, compared with just 21% of private universities. But only 1% of private and 5% of four-year public institutions were very likely to enforce mandatory unpaid leave in 2011–12; and 6% of private and public four-year colleges were very likely to freeze faculty hiring.