Re: 2018 Enrollment Numbers
That's a bit surprising. Seems like nationwide, enrollment is dropping but I haven't seen any numbers.
I wouldn't put much stock into 1 school year. State population has been flat. If it drops again next year, it would be concerning. Maybe 14k is the new norm and its leveling off
Who knows it could be a combination of higher standards, increasing tuition, flat population, and declining funding. Or it could just be a fluke.
Re: 2018 Enrollment Numbers
Periods of high employment puts downward pressure on enrollment.
Re: 2018 Enrollment Numbers
State gutting funding does much help IMO
Maybe it doesn't have any effect, but you have to think it does.
Re: 2018 Enrollment Numbers
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Hammersmith
Yuck. I guess it's nice to be bigger than UND again, but this is not the way to do it. I'm sure the numbers will come up a bit by the end of the third week, but still...
Fall 2017 numbers (after 3 weeks)
NDSU: 14,358
UND: 14,406
Fall 2018 numbers (day 1)
NDSU: 13,650
UND: 13,445
http://www.inforum.com/news/educatio...y-numbers-show
I'll take bets that when all is said and done UN_ will pass us. Not that they would fudge their numbers.
Re: 2018 Enrollment Numbers
Looking at national numbers, enrollment has been plummeting for 6 straight years. Less high school students and rising costs play a role. State funding is an issue most places.
My big picture theory is the federal government ruined college by guaranteeing all these student loans without screening them like a normal loan. It gives schools little or no incentive to keep the cost down since for years they had an unlimited numbers of paying customers with no risk since federal loans are guaranteed. Meanwhile college enrollment exploded and now it's all leveling out since prices are high and students dont want this much debt.
Not saying that's NDSU and UNDs problem but nationally it is.
I think the state needs to consider amending the Constitution and cutting a couple of ND schools. Way too many.
Re: 2018 Enrollment Numbers
Quote:
Originally Posted by
HerdBot
I think the state needs to consider amending the Constitution and cutting a couple of ND schools. Way too many.
It should be done but it won't.
Re: 2018 Enrollment Numbers
Burgum might be crazy enough to try.
Re: 2018 Enrollment Numbers
The last school to close in ND was Ellendale in 1970, which gives me an idea about how to solve the problem.
https://i.imgur.com/mA8vuem.jpg?1
Re: 2018 Enrollment Numbers
The last thing I heard on enrollment was that ND high school student enrollment at NDSU was stable relative to past years. But MN enrollment is down. MnSCU schools are doing a better job competing for those students, particularly in the Twin Cities. So are other schools in the region. You see Univ of Nebraska and Univ of Missouri planting recruiting staff in the Twin Cities as it is now seen as a ripe market for new students. It doesn't help that we had lame-brained legislators making very public statements about "why are we subsidizing MN kids with low tuition?" They were too dumb to realize many of them go on to become North Dakota residents, and that's good for the state.
Enrollment is important for so many reasons. Obviously, revenues drop with enrollment decline. But it also impacts our rating and prestige. Many folks outside of campus may not realize this, but our fall from the highest Carnegie research status as a university is in part due to our size. We actually increased in research the year we fell out. But when Indiana University took over the Carnegie classifications, the formula changed. It made it very difficult for a public university of our size to stay in that highest category. This is why getting to 18,000 students was so important. That number, with a boost in grad student numbers, is seen as the critical mass level for having the volume of research necessary to be in that highest ranking.
NDSU is a gem for the state. I suppose UND is as well. But the political short-sightedness when it comes to lack of support (financial and moral) for our research universities from our politicians is so frustrating. I think they long for the days when NDSU was just a solid regional masters university.