Hunter
06/02/23
Enrollment for postsecondary education students has stayed below pre-COVID levels this spring, with Iowa being among those hardest hit.
The Gazette reports that enrollment this spring nationwide is down 7 percent from 2019, but Iowa has a 13 percent drop in combined community college, private, and public university enrollment over the four years. That’s the fifth-largest drop nationally.
Breaking down the numbers, enrollment at Iowa’s public universities was down 11 percent; 9 percent at private colleges and universities, and 17 percent at Iowa community colleges. While the community college number is high, 22 other states reported bigger drops, and enrollment in community colleges overall was up for the first time in years.
In Iowa, all three state-run universities this spring lost enrollment from the fall — with UI down 6 percent and ISU and UNI down 7 percent.
