Maintaining status in new times

Ongoing disruptions to higher education—from changing student demographics to technological developments and new policy regimes—have prompted predictions of imminent toppling of traditional status hierarchies among universities. Some argue that many top institutions are too old and rigid to adjust to new conditions and will be outcompeted by newer entities. We present an alternative prediction: that status hierarchies in higher education will continue to be remarkably durable, since status itself serves as a resource that allows top universities not only to adapt to their environments but also to dictate trends. Drawing on examples from various Anglo-American nations, we highlight ‘core isomorphism’/‘peripheral risk-taking’ as an evolving strategy by which established universities can maintain their conventional structures while utilizing their resources to engage in more speculative ventures at little risk. We predict that this competitive strategy will help preserve, if not elongate, existing status differences among universities in the coming era.