(The Center Square) – New enrollment in Pennsylvania’s state university system rose again this fall, signaling a stabilization after a long-worried decline, officials said.
The Pennsylvania System of Higher Education announced Monday that first-year enrollment for fall 2023 increased by 3.4%, an increase of 10% since 2021.
Chancellor Dan Greenstein praised the effects of a fifth-year tuition freeze and a focus on programs that lead to sought-after jobs as an admissions driver.
“We are pleased that our strategy of freezing tuition fees and aligning more programs with in-demand careers is benefiting our students.” said in a press release. “We know that Pennsylvania needs state universities to help address worker shortages in health care, STEM, business, and education, all of which are part of our strong and One of our most-enrolled programs. We are focused on helping more Pennsylvanians receive a comprehensive education and develop the special skills to get the good jobs our state’s economy depends on. is placed.”
East Stroudsburg University received the biggest boost, with a 21% increase in first-time enrollments for degrees or certificates. Cheney and Indiana follow (15%), with Slippery Rock, West Chester and Shippensburg also showing growth. Overall enrollment at these seven universities increased by 9%.
However, total enrollment across the system decreased by 2.2%.“Enrollment numbers have been declining for more than a decade, but this shows they are stabilizing.” Stakeholders pointed out.
Partly, this issue is outside of PASSHE’s control. Nationally, student numbers are declining as the college population shrinks, and the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. From 2012 to 2022, Pennsylvania’s college student population declined by 22%, with community colleges and four-year universities bearing the brunt.
Similarly, as student numbers declined, competition increased. In 28 states, including Pennsylvania, the number of students in mainstream schools is increasing while the number of students in local schools is decreasing. In the Commonwealth, from 2010 to 2021, flagship schools gained 11% more students, while regional schools lost almost 26%.
Large-scale investments aimed at bucking this trend have also failed. All PASSHE schools except Cheyney have debt from dormitories that were renovated or built to attract more students. Some universities, like Edinboro University, are selling dormitories due to low occupancy rates.
But system leaders have hope for recovery.
They noted that PennWest, a recently merged school that was previously home to the University of California, Clarion University and Edinboro University, exceeded its first-year student enrollment goal by 1.1%.
Westchester also had its largest first-year class ever, with 82% of recent PASSHE graduates working in Pennsylvania majoring in priority programs such as healthcare, STEM, business, education, and social services .
In seeking a $200 million funding boost in 2022, Greenstein touted the system’s strategy to increase enrollment by 20% and educate Pennsylvanians for in-demand careers. Greenstein said the focus will be on increasing graduation and retention rates and certificate completion rates.
In August, PASSHE announced a certificate partnership with Google. This grants students a certificate in the program that is shorter than traditional her two- or four-year degrees.