WALTHAM — Brandeis University stands apart in the higher education world with its combination of an intimate, liberal arts feel and powerhouse research operation that produces scientific breakthroughs and wins Nobel Prizes.
But what worked for Brandeis for decades can also work against it: Its unique character has long forced the school to live on the budgetary edge, stretching tuition from a few thousand students and a medium-sized endowment to compete with institutions that are several times its size.
Now, in the midst of widespread financial trouble in higher education and declining enrollment at Brandeis in particular, the Waltham school finds itself in an intensifying budget crunch and trying to fend off what some fear could be the beginning of a long-run decline…