Enrollment Updates

General Campus News, Updates, Discussion
wiu712
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NIU enrollment drops by 560 students from last fall.
From the Northern Star:
https://northernstar.info/news/enrollme ... ea4c8.html


NIU Fall 10-day count offers signs of improvement.
From NIU Today:
https://www.niutoday.info/2019/09/11/fa ... provement/
wiu712
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Record UIUC enrollment tops 50,000 for the first time.
From the Champaign News-Gazette:
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/recor ... fdc7c.html


Across the UI system, 88,861 students are enrolled: a new record, up from 85,597 a year ago.

Enrollment at UI-Chicago increased 5.4% to 33,390, also a record. The numbers reflect the addition of 1,066 students from John Marshall Law School, which moved to UI-Chicago this fall. Without that addition, overall enrollment system-wide grew by 2.6%.

At UI-Springfield, freshman enrollment grew 18% to 313, but total enrollment was down 6.6% to 4,275. Officials blamed the decrease on a drop in part-time students.

The UI system is on pace to meet its five-year goal of topping 93,600 students by the fall of 2021, officials said.
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ST_Lawson
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This article has a lot of the numbers for the various universities all together: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct- ... story.html
If you can't see the article, here's a screen grab of it: https://i.imgur.com/5gm99Wv.jpg

It also lists Chicago State's numbers...they had a bit of an increase in their freshman class vs last year (197 vs 140) and are as a result, essentially "static" from last year (+3 students) at 2,967.

I have not seen numbers for Governors State or Northeastern Illinois yet.
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wiu712
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UIS enrollment drops for the third consecutive year.
From the Springfield State Journal-Register:
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20190912/uis- ... utive-year
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Tere North
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ST_Lawson wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2019 1:21 pm This article has a lot of the numbers for the various universities all together: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct- ... story.html
If you can't see the article, here's a screen grab of it: https://i.imgur.com/5gm99Wv.jpg

It also lists Chicago State's numbers...they had a bit of an increase in their freshman class vs last year (197 vs 140) and are as a result, essentially "static" from last year (+3 students) at 2,967.

I have not seen numbers for Governors State or Northeastern Illinois yet.
Here is the text of the article, though I didn't format the tables, just presented the info.

College enrollment has dropped for years in Illinois, from a high of more than 930,000 students in 2010 to just under 768,000 in 2017, the most recent year for which data is available.

Multiple factors have contributed to this decline. The number of high school-age children in the Midwest is dwindling, a demographic shift borne out in other regions of the country.

At the same time, Illinois students increasingly are enrolling in schools out-of-state, often finding them more affordable and the financial aid more generous. In 2017, 48.4 percent of Illinois public high school graduates who enrolled in four-year universities chose out-of-state schools. That’s up from 29.3 percent in 2002.

Here’s a rundown on how the numbers look for fall 2019 at the state’s public universities. Schools measure enrollment based on the 10th day of attendance. This list will be updated throughout the week as schools release their figures.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: State flagship tops 50,000 students for first time
Accelerated by a large boost in graduate students, U. of I. added more than 1,800 students to campus this fall, breaking the institution’s own record for total enrollment.

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The number of graduate students grew by 11% this fall, pushing the overall student population to nearly 52,000 — about a 4% jump over last year.

It marks the ninth straight year of record enrollment at the state’s largest public university.

“We are so pleased to welcome this record-breaking class to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,” Chancellor Robert Jones said in a statement. “As one of the nation’s top public universities, we have an opportunity to provide an excellent education at scale. This new milestone demonstrates our unmatched capacity to provide affordable access to a world-class educational experience.”

The University of Illinois system — comprising its locations in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield — is in the midst of a five-year plan to grow enrollment by 15%.

This year’s numbers put Urbana-Champaign within about 1,000 students of reaching its target of 53,000.

Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 7,665 7,609
Undergraduates 33,850 33,673
Graduates 16,290 14,672
Total 51,196 49,339
University of Illinois at Chicago: Big growth in freshmen, new school fuels another record-breaking year
Among the most rapidly growing universities in the state, UIC is continuing to expand.

The freshman class at the Near West Side campus grew 6% this fall. Since 2016, when most schools were working to stabilize enrollment, the first-time freshman classes jumped from 3,307 to 4,407.

UIC also merged with John Marshall Law School, adding more than 1,000 students who enrolled in the new school this fall.

Overall enrollment increased by 5.4%, topping 33,000 students for the first time.

“Our continued enrollment growth demonstrates that we are providing an accessible and affordable option for a world-class education at Chicago’s only public research university,” Chancellor Michael D. Amiridis said in a statement. “Our capital improvements dramatize UIC’s growth and burgeoning role as Chicago’s leader in higher education, workforce development and intellectual thought.”

Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 4,407 4,159
Undergraduates 21,641 20,783
Graduates 7,551 7,673
Total 33,390 31,683
University of Illinois at Springfield: Freshman class grows amid overall declines
The freshman class in Springfield jumped 18% this fall, from 316 to 373, a record for that school.

Nearly 90% of the new freshmen are from Illinois, Chancellor Susan Koch said.

“We are pleased to see the substantial increase in the size of our freshman class again this year,” Koch said in a statement. “It affirms that an increasing number of prospective students and their families are choosing UIS for a student-centered undergrad experience — an experience that provides uniquely personalized educational opportunities that prepare our graduates for success in their careers and their communities.”

Overall enrollment dipped 6.6%, marking a third straight year of sizable decreases.

Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 373 316
Undergraduates 2,684 2,814
Graduates 1,601 1,761
Total 4,275 4,575
Chicago State University: After yearslong slump, some stability
The Far South Side university has lost nearly 60 percent of its enrollment since 2010, plummeting from 7,354 students to 2,964. Amid those declines, the institution has struggled with consistent leadership, at one point cycling through four presidents in three years.

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This year’s enrollment marks the first time in nearly a decade without a drop, with student populations remaining almost even with 2018. Figures show significant increases in first-time freshmen and transfer students, the latter of which comprises about 13 percent of Chicago State’s new students.

Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 197 140
Undergraduates 2,047 2,027
Graduates 920 938
Total 2,967 2,964
Northern Illinois University: Small upticks among new freshman and graduate students
Both the freshman class and number of graduate students in DeKalb grew about 2% this fall. Overall enrollment dropped about 3.3%, dipping below 17,000 students for the first time in recent history.

School officials said they anticipated that decline in part because the size of graduating classes regularly has exceeded the number of incoming students.

President Lisa C. Freeman also said about half of NIU’s new students are from traditionally underrepresented demographics.

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“This past year, we developed and launched a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan that respects our mission and values and maps out a multiyear approach for creating a sustainable enrollment,” Freeman said in a statement. “This 10-day report affirms that our analysis and strategies are succeeding in attracting excellent students from diverse backgrounds to NIU.”

Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 1,897 1,856
Undergraduates 12,131 12,788
Graduates 4,204 4,121
Total 16,609 17,169
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville: Massive growth among graduate students
Overall enrollment at the St. Louis-area institution remained stable, helped in no small measure by a nearly 40% jump in the graduate student ranks.

More than 650 new graduate and professional students enrolled at Edwardsville this fall, their enrollment jumping from 1,903 to 2,658. Those starting graduate programs in business and nursing grew significantly, with the enrollment in nursing at an all-time high, Chancellor Randy Pembrook said.

Increasing stipends for graduate students, offering more programs and making more programs available online are part of an effort to attract more than the traditional 18-year-old to Edwardsville, Pembrook said.

“Freshman are getting more scarce in the state of Illinois,” Pembrook said. “We are concentrating on a larger potential student population pool. I think our institution went through a period of time when we really focused on high school seniors, traditional students. We’re looking at a lot of different things now. It’s trying to imagine our student population in a different and more diverse way.”

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Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 1,667 1,706
Undergraduates 10,400 10,833
Graduates 2,658 1,903
Total 13,061 13,281
Western Illinois University: ‘We must — and we will — stop this trend’.
Overall enrollment dropped more than 10 percent to 7,624, roughly the same drop as the past two years.

Western, based in Macomb and Quad Cities, has lost several hundred students each year since 2015.

Acting President Martin Abraham said enrollment among new freshmen, undergraduates and graduates has dipped, but not as dramatically as in recent years.

“While this fall’s total new student enrollment has not decreased as dramatically as the last few years, I’m still disappointed in the size of the decline this fall. We must — and we will — stop this trend," Abraham said in a statement. “We cannot change what has occurred the past few years. What we can do is to get better and do better, and we will. Our students deserve that; the residents of Illinois deserve that.”

Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 895 934
Undergraduates 5,958 6,754
Graduates 1,666 1,748
Total 7,624 8,502
Students walk into the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus near Anthony Hall.
Students walk into the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus near Anthony Hall. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale: Drops continue, but some declines becoming less steep
Few schools have recorded more precipitous enrollment slides over the past decade. With 11,695 students, SIUC’s student population is nearly 43% less than in 2009.

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Interim Chancellor John M. Dunn said officials expected enrollment to fall, in part because SIUC graduated almost 2,600 students in the Spring. There are signs the ship is slowly turning, Dunn said. First-time freshman enrollment is down 8.5% after falling 14% and 18% the two years prior. Graduate enrollment is nearly the same as last year.

Dunn also said the rate of retention — meaning freshmen who return for their sophomore year — is on the rise.

“The picture for first-time students and graduate students is significantly improved over the last two years, signaling that we are gaining traction and moving in the right direction,” Dunn said in a statement.

He concedes, however, the enrollment drop means about $10 million less in tuition revenue, which will demand cost cutting throughout campus.

In a blog post last month, Dunn outlined several strategies the university is implementing to boost recruitment: more on-campus visits, more off-site events for high school students and counselors, more recruiters based in Chicago and St. Louis, streamlining the application process to encourage students to complete it. He also said the university is trying to improve academic advising and strengthen supports for first-generation students in order to continue improving retention.

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“We are running a marathon, and I am confident that we will cross the finish line with time, diligence and patience,” Dunn said.

Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 1,037 1,133
Undergraduates 8,375 9,447
Graduates 2,683 2,709
Total 11,695 12,817
Eastern Illinois University: Freshman enrollment climbs again
The Charleston-based school, hit with steep enrollment declines over the past decade, was among the few schools statewide to log year-over-year increases in freshman and total enrollment in 2018.

Those numbers continue to trend up in 2019, with freshman enrollment jumping 12.5% and overall enrollment up nearly 4%.

“We’re just thrilled,” said admissions director Kelly Miller.

Miller also pointed to expanded financial aid options, financed in part by AIM High, as a critical factor in attracting more students.

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“We’ve kept our cost of attendance low and we’ve really focused on making college affordable for families," Miller said. “We’re doing everything we can to help them with scholarships and with completing the financial aid process.”

Josh Norman, associate vice president for enrollment management, said the number of new freshmen who hail from Charleston’s immediate area jumped 48% this year. Many of those students are from rural areas — communities that Eastern and other Illinois schools increasingly are targeting in student recruitment.

“There isn’t another sub-population I can identify with that big of an increase. I was honestly surprised by the impact of our efforts in the local region,” Norman said. “It goes to show me that even if I think that we’re at saturation, there’s still potential if we’re innovative in our strategies."

Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 888 789
Undergraduates 6,229 6,012
Graduates 1,577 1,514
Total 7,806 7,526
The campus of the Illinois State University in Normal on April 23, 2014.
The campus of the Illinois State University in Normal on April 23, 2014. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois State University: Biggest freshman class since the mid-'80s
Officials in Normal say this year’s freshman class of nearly 3,900 is the largest in 33 years.

Jana Albrecht, associate vice president for enrollment management, credited the increase to some new campus events for prospective students, as well as new and restructured financial aid programs for middle-income families. One aid program stems from the state’s AIM High initiative, which allocated $25 million to help attract more Illinoisans to in-state schools.

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Illinois State’s share of the funding was about $4 million.

“We had no idea that AIM High and some of the changes we made in our scholarship programs would make that big of a difference," Albrecht said. "We absolutely loved the dollars and thought it would do some good. The fact that we’re up in both freshman and new transfers is great. But I don’t know that we would have predicted that big an increase.”

Officials also said some minority groups are better represented, comprising about one-third of this year’s freshman class.

“This year’s historically large freshman class is part of the continuing trend of strong enrollment at Illinois State University,” President Larry Dietz said in a statement. “That is proof that students recognize the high quality of educational, growth, and leadership opportunities the university offers.”

Fall 2019 Fall 2018
First-time freshmen 3,860 3,689
Undergraduates 18,250 18,107
Graduates 2,628 2,528
Total 20,878 20,635
Check back for updates
wiu712
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

From the Quad City Times:

'They deserve our gratitude': Embattled ex-WIU president Jack Thomas honored by state Higher Ed board.
https://qctimes.com/news/local/they-des ... f4c5e.html


Western Illinois University board violated Open Meetings Act, Attorney General rules.
https://qctimes.com/news/local/western- ... 1a28a.html
wiu712
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

The key figure for Western is the full-time undergrad enrollment at Macomb: that number is 4,343. It was 5,256 for Fall 2018. That is a decline of 913.

Macomb Campus Student Enrollment Fall Term 2019:
http://www.wiu.edu/IRP/enrollments/2020 ... macomb.php
wiu712
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

Enrollment at Northeastern Illinois is down 8.4%.

Fall 2019 = 7,413. It was 8,103 for Fall 2018.

The number of new Freshmen for Fall 2019 is 452. It was 451 for Fall 2018.
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WIU0812
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Anyone know if they eliminated plans for the visitors center in the lot where old cinema was demolished? I know when I went a visited the school it just seemed kinda of sloppy how they had the visits in the rec center in lieu of having their own dedicated visitors/ recruitment center to show off the school to kids and house their recruitment staff. Other schools I visited had similar areas usually with a large conference room that they would show presentations and answer questions prior to walking the school. Obviously money is a major issue right now and I am sure this took back burner, just seems like it may make for a better first impression of school if they had something such as this. If I remember right they were going to fundraise for this as well to build partially through private donations, but I never see any of the fundraisers they talk about. Seems like these fundraisers should be few years long and many people would donate each year. Maybe I am crazy.
wiu712
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

The Fall 2019 enrollment at Governors State University is 4,789. It was 4,857 last year.

The number of first-time freshmen has increased to 263. That number was 204 last year.

This fall’s freshman class of 263 students is the largest since Governors State University began admitting freshmen for the first time in 2014.
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