Enrollment at the maximum number of schools and colleges in Erie is comparable to fall 2021 figures, as the college-age young adult population continues to decline.
A 20% decline in the U. S. birth rateThe U. S. Department of Education in recent decades has eroded the pool of college-age classical scholars since enrollment peaked in 2010. Enrollment has fallen 3. 2% nationally since fall 2020 alone, according to a new report from the National Research Center of the Student Compensation Chamber.
Pennsylvania Western University, which combines the former universities of Edinboro, Clarion and California, experienced the biggest drop in enrollment in Erie this educational year with numbers more than 11% less than in the fall of 2021, according to initial knowledge from the Pennsylvania State Higher Education System. .
At the other end of the demographic spectrum, Gannon University has a record enrollment rate for one year in a row.
Enrollment at Penn State Behrend, Mercyhurst University and Allegheny College is for 2021 numbers.
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At Gannon University, foreign academics helped drive record enrollment.
There are 4764 academics enrolled this fall, adding 268 on the Ruskin University campus in Florida. That’s up from 4705 in the fall of 2021. The school’s highest enrolment rate in 1990, immediately after its 1989 merger with the former Villa Maria College. .
Enrollment this educational year includes 1,074 scholars from 68 countries, plus Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Nigeria and Vietnam.
The increase in enrollment this educational year comes despite a decline in the number of local freshman scholars in Gannon.
“We’re doing well, but we’re still involved in demographics in this area,” said Bill Edmondson, the university’s vice president of enrollment. school. But we were going to supplement that with foreign academics. “
This cultural diversity can attract local students.
“I think that’s something we can start marketing to national recruits, who need to come to Gannon and vet because of their global diversity,” Edmondson said. “They’ll be racing in a global environment for the next 30 or 40 years, and now they can get a taste of that at Gannon. “
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International scholars make up nearly a portion of the roughly 1400 scholars enrolled this fall at Allegheny College in Meadville. The school has seen increased recruitment in recent years in Florida, California, Texas and other states where the population is growing.
“Our national numbers continue to grow,” said Ellen Johnson, the university’s vice president of enrollment administration. “About forty-five percent of our students this year come from outside Pennsylvania. “
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Allegheny reduced enrollment, estimated at 1600 the last school year and more than 2000 in recent years. The school has also reduced the number of universities and made education affordable while providing the quality education systems that academics want, Johnson said.
“We would like to have between 1,400 and 1,500 students, so right now we are smaller. Our goal is to get back to 1,500 in the next two years,” Johnson said.
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First-year enrollment increased at PennWest this fall, even though overall enrollment at the Edinboro, Clarion and California campuses fell 11. 7% from 2021, from 14,477 to 12,780, according to the Pennsylvania State Higher Education System. He has not yet been released.
Systemwide, enrollment at the 10 public universities fell 4. 6% this fall to 84,566 students.
Students who delay or drop out of school account for part of the decline in enrollment, said Erinn Lake, vice president of strategic enrollment and online advancement.
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“There’s a very strong task market right now, and they’re making money,” Lake said. “We need them back on track to finish their studies. “
First-year enrollment increased 1. 8 percent, surpassing the goal of 2,000 new scholars for the consolidated university officially unveiled July 1.
“If the number of freshmen had remained equivalent to last year, it would have been a win, as the trend has been downward in first-year enrollment for the past two years,” said Yugo Ikach, PennWest’s associate vice president for global and virtual. education. ” In fact, we have stayed in company and even done better this year. This is very encouraging, especially with the integration of the university and the change of call. We think it can really be us (attracting new students) this year, and it’s really not. “
At Penn State Behrend, a 7% increase in on-campus freshmen and a 3% increase in new online fellows helped enroll about 4200 scholars overall this fall.
“Where the backlog was noticed is among freshmen in Erie County,” said Andrea Konkol, the university’s director of enrollment administration. “When you look at the demographics, adding the decline in the county’s population, it wouldn’t seem logical. “
But since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, several students have opted to move to school closer to home, which has helped boost first-grade enrollment, Konkol said.
Behrend also attracts local scholars through outreach systems for K-12 scholars and systems specific to academics and graduates from top schools, adding on-campus summer courses for emerging scholars from top schools and a summer program for freshmen presented in partnership with Erie Insurance.
At Mercyhurst University, the number of first-year scholars declined slightly this fall, with graduate enrollment increasing, said Dionne Veitch, vice president of enrollment management. .
The outlook for the upcoming school year looks good, Veitch said, with a “windfall” for dual enrollment students taking school courses at the best school.
“By fall 2023, full applications, admitted scholars, and confirmations are ready,” Veitch said. “We are pleased to see records recover after the pandemic. “
Enrollment at Erie County’s last school has increased enrollment since it opened for the 2021-2022 school year, according to Keri Bowman, dean of ECCC scholars. educational year.
Niche systems and systems tailored to twenty-first-century desires and careers continue to attract students, school officials said.
Mercyhurst’s implemented forensics program attracted one of its largest courses this fall, and enrollment continues to be strong in cybersecurity and intelligence implemented, the first program of its kind in the country, Veitch said.
At Gannon, engineering, computer science and business continue to attract large numbers of undergraduate and graduate students, Edmondson said. Cybersecurity has been popular with graduate students.
“We’ve also done some unique things, like adding STEM parts to the Master of Public Administration and Master of Communication programs. Students are for analysis,” he said.
On September 29, Allegheny College announced an Access Commitment program to cover 100% of tuition for Pennsylvania academics from families earning less than $50,000 a year. The program will launch in the fall of 2023 with scholarships, state and federal grants, and institutional investment coverage. Tuition for freshmen, transferees, and ongoing students.
“We know that an Allegheny education can seem unattainable, especially for low-income students,” Johnson said. Qualify for the program will get you full attendance. “
Allegheny’s tuition this school year is $52,950. Funding for the Access Commitment will cover up to 4 years of tuition fees.
More and more academics are choosing to take courses remotely, on their own schedule, while painting or raising families.
The number of Behrend Scholars enrolled in Penn State’s online World Campus grew 38% last year. Convenience is a key factor, Konkol said.
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“Our systems are asynchronous, which means students take categories when it suits them. But they are not alone. Our university goes to those students a lot, and students have teams working with others in the classroom, no matter who they are,” Konkol said. “They can also interact on campus and participate in clubs and organizations. “
The pandemic has also boosted online communication, as students have opted to be informed from home and become accustomed to working remotely, he said.
New online systems are also attracting students, Konkol said. Coming soon in 2023, new remote systems in chain control and functional and knowledge analysis.
PennWest University includes a global online virtual campus that combines and develops online education previously introduced by the universities of Edinboro, Clarion and California.
“We have been providing online courses and degree systems for 20 years,” Ikach said. “We’re new to the game. But now we have a team that lives, breathes and thinks about everything online. “
“There’s an infusion of innovation into online content,” Lake said. “And we have an impressive diversity of online programs. “
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Here are some facts about schools and colleges in the Erie domain in 2022-23, and where to find more information:
Allegheny College
Erie County Community College
Gannon University
Mercyhurst University
Penn Behrend State
Western University of Pennsylvania
Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews. com.