Author Profile

Reagan Allen

Reagan Allen joined the Martin Center in June 2025 as the state reporter, covering developments in higher-education policy and governance across North Carolina. She holds a bachelor’s degree in media and journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she developed a strong interest in education reform, public policy, and investigative journalism. Her work has appeared in The Hill WCHL and the Daily Tar Heel. She enjoys pickleball, reading, trivia, and spending time outdoors.

Articles by Reagan Allen


Another College Costs Calculator

For families across North Carolina, the most confusing part of the college decision is no longer writing application essays but trying to pin down a price that often feels deliberately…


The Cost of Tuition Discounting

Public universities have spent years insisting that rising tuition is unavoidable. State funding, they say, hasn’t kept pace. Costs are up, and quality must be maintained. But a new brief…






Job Training and the Liberal Arts

Martin Center: How did this working group and report come to exist? Toby King: Last year, Peter Hans, UNC System president, approached the faculty assembly and said, “I feel that…


Happiness Isn’t Stapled to a Diploma

For decades, college was seen as the ultimate standard of success: the pathway to a good job, financial stability, and, for most, happiness. However, many people (including myself) have begun…


The College Rat Race

Across the nation, public universities are under orders to move students across the graduation stage more quickly, but at what cost to the degree itself? Yes, graduation-rate targets are important…