Colorado Springs colleges see enrollment declines and budget woes
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Colorado Springs higher education institutions are struggling with continued enrollment slumps carving millions out of already-distressed budgets.
Why it matters: Fewer students means fewer tuition dollars to pay for faculty, academic programs and campus services.
State of play: The University of Colorado in Colorado Springs enrolled 493 fewer students in the class of 2030, a 5% decline from a year ago, preliminary figures show.
- The total — 9,901 — represents the steepest drop in the CU system and marks the eighth straight year of shrinking enrollment.
- Out-of-state and returning students are enrolling at lower levels than previous years, but Colorado first-year enrollment rose 6% and transfers climbed 3%
Colorado College missed its enrollment target for the third consecutive year, welcoming 490 students, 20 short of its goal.
- The shortfall came despite the private college increasing its acceptance rate to 26% — its highest in at least 15 years and well above its peer institutions, the Catalyst campus newspaper reports.
- President Manya Whitaker's strategic plan includes efforts to reduce the acceptance rate back below 20%.
By the numbers: UCCS expects to lose $7.4 million from the slide, in part because students are taking fewer credit hours, the Gazette reported.
- The fiscal impact only adds to the university's woes. In January, the school revealed a $27.7 million budget gap, which it plans to close in five years through job cuts, deferred maintenance and expense reductions.
Colorado College's financial hit is unclear but exacerbated by the fact that 65% of its smaller freshman class is receiving need-based aid, up 8% from 2025.
What they're saying: UCCS chancellor Jennifer Sobanet emphasized that the numbers are preliminary.
- "While there are probably the same number of students on campus, they're just taking fewer classes. But what it tells us is that students are choosing UCCS," she told the CU Board of Regents earlier this month.
The big picture: Enrollment declines are a nationwide issue, driven by lower birth rates and less interest in high-dollar higher education.
The CU system's enrollment declined 1.4% overall, in part because of declining international enrollment, the latest figures show.
- CU Boulder lost 0.8%.
- CU Denver declined 1.4%.
- CU Anschutz actually grew 1.4%.
What we're watching: Whether UCCS can turn gains among freshmen and transfers into stronger retention — and whether CC can boost its yield without sacrificing financial aid or pricing out more families.