(Topeka, Kansas) – In a press release from the Kansas Board of Regents, preliminary fall enrollment figures show a slight decline in systemwide enrollment, but growth at 15 of the state’s 32 public higher education institutions.
Across the six state universities, there was an increase in enrollment at Fort Hays State University (385 students; 2.78%) and the University of Kansas (108 students; 0.39%), but overall there was a decrease of 890 students (-0.94%) compared to the preliminary census day count in 2014. Kansas State University realized a decrease in the number of enrollments (620 students; -2.5%), as did Wichita State University (508 students; -3.39%), and Pittsburg State University (235 students; -3.14%). There was nearly flat enrollment at both Emporia State University (decreasing by 20 students; -0.33%) and Washburn University, the state’s municipal university (increasing by 6 students; 0.08%).
2015 Preliminary Fall Enrollment Figures
In the two-year sector, enrollment was down across the state’s 19 community colleges with a reported decrease of 2,165 students (-2.90%). Enrollment increased across the state’s technical colleges, where an additional 433 students (6.33%) are enrolled this fall compared to the preliminary census day count in 2014.
In total, the 2015 fall semester enrollment total is 182,101 students as of census day at each institution, a preliminary headcount of students enrolled on the 20th day of class. While the number of students enrolled on a given day during the fall semester is no longer the indicator for total enrollment that it once was, this number has been recorded for over fifty years and so continues to be reported.
However, academic year enrollment more accurately captures total systemwide participation. In 2014-2015, the total systemwide enrollment is estimated to have been approximately 250,000. Based on current enrollment numbers, the Kansas Board of Regents projects enrollment for the 2015-2016 year will remain relatively flat.