The University of Akron fall enrollment is down 8 percent, but “extra effort” helped the school avoid “a much steeper decline.”
That’s the word from UA Interim President Matthew J. Wilson in a letter emailed to the “campus community” this week.
The total enrollment of 23,152 reported on “Census Day,” represents a decline of 2,025 students, down 8 percent, from the fall 2015 numbers.
The 23,152 includes 3,442 entering freshmen.
“It is gratifying that within recent weeks, the hard work of the Admissions team and many others throughout the University family has helped mitigate what was looking to be a much steeper decline,” Wilson said in the letter.
UA trustees named Wilson interim president in July to replace Scott Scarborough, who resigned May 31 after less than two tumultuous years on the job.
Scarborough was criticized for enrollment declines and decisions, including rebranding the school as “Ohio’s polytechnic university” and dismantling the baseball team.
Wilson noted in his letter that the total grew by 4 percentage points just in the past two months.
“That extra effort has paid off,” he said.
Wilson said two “principal reasons” are to blame for the 8 percent decline: A larger number of students graduating from UA during the last several academic years and a sharp decrease in the number of new freshmen.
“We are excited to see more UA students receiving their degrees,” Wilson said. “At the same time, that larger number does have an impact on our overall enrollment.”
He said the 2016 fall freshman enrollment of 3,442 is down from 4,278 for fall 2015.
Meanwhile, Kent State University had a record-setting enrollment this academic year at its Kent campus with 29,105 students, a 0.4 percent increase over last year. Last fall, there were 28,981 students enrolled. The Kent campus has had an enrollment increase 10 years in a row.
This year’s freshman class of 4,335 at the Kent campus is an increase from last year’s 4,295 and breaks the previous record of 4,314 incoming freshmen in 2013. The freshman class also has a record 737 minority students, compared to the previous high of 727 in 2011.
“... The class of 2020 is not only the largest and most academically talented in the history of the university, but is also more diverse,” Kent State President Beverly Warren said in a news release.
Total enrollment for the 2016 fall semester across Kent State’s eight campuses is 40,782 students compared to 41,005 last year for all campuses, which is a 0.5 percent drop.
At Youngstown State University, enrollment is up by 285 students or 2.3 percent from last year. YSU has 12,756 students enrolled this fall semester, up from 12,471 last fall semester. It is YSU’s first fall-to-fall enrollment increase since 2010.
Bowling Green State University is celebrating an enrollment increase for its second year in a row.
Bowling Green’s total enrollment across all campuses of 19,812, represents an increase of 640 students, or 3.3 percent, from fall 2015.
At the University of Toledo, the fall 2016 total head count is 20,648, up 267 students from fall 2015. The university had not seen an increase in fall enrollment since 2010.
Incoming freshmen at UA this school year had an average high school grade-point average of 3.4, the highest in the university’s history. The average ACT score was 23.
Likewise, Kent State freshmen had an average 3.4 high school GPA, also a record. The average ACT score was 23.
At the University of Akron, Wilson, who was previously the dean of UA’s law school, pointed out other freshman enrollment data:
• The percentage of minority students in the entering freshman class increased from 23.1 percent last year to 25.1 percent this year.
• New freshmen enrolled in the Williams Honors College totaled 589, compared to last year’s 640, and represents the largest percentage in UA history (17 percent) of the entering freshman class. Total Williams Honors College enrollment now stands at 2,025.
UA students represent 45 states and U.S. territories and 92 foreign countries, both increases from the prior year. At Kent State, there are students from all 50 states and students represent 120 different countries outside the United States.
Katie Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or kbyard @thebeaconjournal.com. Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.