Current:Home > Contact-usEnrollment rebounds in 2023 after 2-year dip at Georgia public universities and colleges-LoTradeCoin
Enrollment rebounds in 2023 after 2-year dip at Georgia public universities and colleges
View Date:2024-12-23 16:28:30
ATLANTA (AP) — The number of students rose at Georgia’s public universities and colleges this fall after a two-year dip, with all but three of the system’s 26 schools adding students.
Enrollment rose 2.9% statewide from fall 2022. That increase of nearly 10,000 students set a new record of more than 344,000 students statewide, surpassing the previous high of 341,000 in fall 2020.
After a steeper decline in enrollment than the nation as a whole last year, University System of Georgia schools outstripped the nationwide rise of 2.1% this fall recorded by the National Student Clearinghouse.
The turnaround is especially welcome at many of the system’s smaller institutions, which bled students fast during the pandemic. The system distributes much of its funding based on enrollment. That means those schools — which typically don’t have big private donors or research contracts to cushion them — have been facing budget cuts.
“This is happening as we focus on aligning degrees to the state’s workforce needs, from nursing and teaching to logistics and cybersecurity,” University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said in a statement, adding that schools “make a transformational difference in students’ lives.”
The institution which saw the largest percentage increase was Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, where student enrollment rose 11%.
Dalton State College, Atlanta Metropolitan State College and Georgia Gwinnett College saw increases of more than 8%. They and six other state colleges saw student enrollment rise 4.2% as a group. Many students at those schools seek two-year degrees.
Georgia Tech added the largest number of students. Its growth by 2,600 students brings its enrollment to nearly 48,000. Master’s degrees, typically offered online, continue to fuel the growth of the Atlanta research powerhouse.
The only schools seeing dips were Georgia State University in Atlanta, Valdosta State University and East Georgia State College in Swainsboro. Georgia State remained the system’s largest, with more than 50,000 students, despite a 6% decrease.
Overall, 18 of 26 schools haven’t made up all the ground they lost since fall 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Without Georgia Tech’s 11,000-student increase since 2019, the system’s overall enrollment would be lower than pre-pandemic levels. Enrollment has fallen 35% at East Georgia State since 2019.
With unemployment low, some people have chosen to work rather than study. And the number of graduating high school seniors in Georgia is likely to fall for years beginning later in the decade, because of a decline in birthrates.
Enrollment rose in all four undergraduate years, among graduate students, and among younger students who are dual-enrolled in high school and college courses.
The share of white students continues to decrease statewide, falling below 44% this year. The share of Hispanic and Asian students rose again, reflecting a diversifying Georgia population. The share of Black students remained level.
veryGood! (39437)
Related
- A herniated disc is painful, debilitating. How to get relief.
- National Fried Chicken Day is Saturday: Here's where to find food deals and discounts
- Some Caribbean islands see almost 'total destruction' after Hurricane Beryl
- Want to buy or sell a home? How to get a 3% mortgage rate, negotiate fees, and more
- Steelers' Mike Tomlin shuts down Jayden Daniels Lamar comparison: 'That's Mr. Jackson'
- US jobs report for June is likely to point to slower but still-solid hiring
- Jill Ellis responds to abuse allegations against her, San Diego Wave
- Ranger wounded, suspect dead in rare shooting at Yellowstone National Park, NPS says
- NBA today: Injuries pile up, Mavericks are on a skid, Nuggets return to form
- Who won Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024? Meet the victors.
Ranking
- 'Underbanked' households more likely to own crypto, FDIC report says
- Sierra Leone outlaws child marriage. Even witnesses to such weddings can face jail time.
- Jessica Pegula, Wimbledon No. 5 seed, stunned by Xinyu Wang in second round
- New Dutch leader pledges to cut immigration as the opposition vows to root out racists in cabinet
- Tom Brady Shares How He's Preparing for Son Jack to Be a Stud
- Def Leppard pumped for summer tour with Journey: 'Why would you want to retire?'
- Summer House's Lindsay Hubbard Pregnant, Expecting First Baby
- Arizona man pleads guilty to murder in wife’s death less than a week after reporting her missing
Recommendation
-
Kraft Heinz stops serving school-designed Lunchables because of low demand
-
Lynx forward, Olympian Napheesa Collier injures foot
-
Brooke Burke says women in their 50s must add this to their workouts
-
ATV crashes into pickup on rural Colorado road, killing 2 toddlers and 2 adults
-
What happens to Donald Trump’s criminal conviction? Here are a few ways it could go
-
How to boil hot dogs: Here's how long it should take
-
Shark attack on South Padre Island, Texas leaves 2 injured, 2 others report encounters
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, The Sims