Undergraduate enrollment rebounds at some Colorado universities
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As enrollment at colleges and universities plunges nationwide, new research shows some Colorado schools could be bucking the trend.
Why it matters: The findings indicate higher-ed is beginning to rebound, albeit slowly, after two straight years of sliding headcounts amid the pandemic.
- With enrollment directly tied to funding, the influx of undergraduates could lower the chances of some schools being permanently shuttered, education experts tell Axios Denver.
Driving the news: Colorado was found to be one of eight states whose undergraduate enrollment rates this spring compared to 2019 exceeded the national average of -7.8%, according to an analysis released last week from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
- An estimated 295,000 undergraduate students were enrolled across Colorado's postsecondary schools this spring term — a 3.9% increase over the 2019 semester.
- The report also showed Colorado had the fifth-highest upswing in undergraduate enrollment compared to other states. (New Hampshire and Utah led the list.)
Zoom in: The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the schools helping fuel the upward trend, university spokesperson Andrew Sorensen tells Axios Denver.
- Its headcount increased 1.4%, to about 28,600, between spring semesters in 2019 and 2022 — and the rate is even higher when comparing fall semesters.
- At the University of Denver, undergrad enrollment this past fall was just 0.2% shy of pre-pandemic levels. And administrators are anticipating a "record year" this upcoming semester, says Todd Rinehart, vice chancellor for enrollment.
The other side: Not all academic institutions in Colorado are seeing the uptick.
- Metropolitan State University of Denver — which predominantly serves first-generation Coloradans and students of color — saw a 15% decline in undergraduate students this spring compared to 2019, Will Simpkins, vice president for student affairs, tells Axios Denver.
- Colorado State University's enrollment numbers were also lower this spring by about 4.3%, according to school spokesperson Jeff Dodge.
What they're saying: "As we come out of the pandemic," Simpkins says, it comes down to: "Do I have time? Do I have resources? And do I have the need right now?"
- And for many people, the reality is "the economic and time cost to complete a degree likely is just a step too far…"
The big picture: COVID-19 has upended virtually every aspect of public schools, shrinking enrollment nationwide as parents pull their kids from the system entirely, Axios' Erin Doherty writes.
- That drop — coupled with declining government support — could send smaller, underserved schools spiraling, with some potentially forced to close completely.