Current:Home > FinanceEnrollment rebounds in 2023 after 2-year dip at Georgia public universities and colleges -Momentum Wealth Path
Enrollment rebounds in 2023 after 2-year dip at Georgia public universities and colleges
PredictIQ Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-11 03:45:32
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! (6851)
Related
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Marilyn Manson completes community service sentence for blowing nose on videographer
- Judge rejects a claim that New York’s marijuana licensing cheats out-of-state applicants
- Mark Zuckerberg to families of exploited kids: 'I'm sorry for everything you've been through'
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- What Vision Zero Has And Hasn't Accomplished
- Bruce Willis and Ex Demi Moore Celebrate Daughter Tallulah's 30th Birthday
- Last year's marine heat waves were unprecedented, forcing researchers to make 3 new coral reef bleaching alert levels
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Do your kids want a dog? Science may be on their side
Ranking
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Oklahoma’s oldest Native American school, Bacone College, is threatened by debts and disrepair
- Lionel Messi, Inter Miami preseason match in Hong Kong: How to watch, highlights, score
- Jason Kelce praises Taylor Swift and defends NFL for coverage during games
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Winners and losers of NHL All-Star Game weekend: This year's event was much more competitive
- Biden projected to win South Carolina's 2024 Democratic primary. Here's what to know.
- A NSFW Performance and More of the Most Shocking Grammy Awards Moments of All Time
Recommendation
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
'Below Deck' returns for all-new Season 11: Cast, premiere date, how to watch and stream
5.1 magnitude earthquake near Oklahoma City felt in 5 states, USGS says
About 1,000 manatees piled together in a Florida park, setting a breathtaking record
Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
Winners and losers of NHL All-Star Game weekend: This year's event was much more competitive
Smith-Wade delivers big play on defense, National beats American 16-7 in Senior Bowl
Mayorkas is driven by his own understanding of the immigrant experience. Many in GOP want him gone