Illinois public universities collectively achieve highest student enrollment in eight years

Illinois (KWQC) – The Illinois State Board of Higher Education has released the state’s public university enrollment report for the fall semester of the 2024-25 academic year.

Illinois public universities have also made progress on a number of key variables, including:

• Increase in undergraduate enrollment by 2%,
• Increase in enrollment of new transfer students for full-time study by 5.1%,
• Increase in African American undergraduate enrollment by 2.8%,
• Increased enrollment of Latin American students by 1.4%, and
• Freshman enrollment increased by 0.6%, the fourth year in a row.

All public universities will welcome an additional 2,993 students this fall, representing a 1.6% increase in total enrollment, bringing the total student population to 185,590, the highest total in eight years.

“Achieving our highest enrollment levels in eight years not only marks a significant win for our students and state, but also demonstrates that our investments in higher education are working,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We have higher transfer rates, more freshmen, and more Black and Hispanic students enrolling at our public universities, which means we are building a stronger and more equitable educational system.”

Student retention at the state’s public universities increased by one percentage point from the previous year. 81.3% of new Illinois public university freshmen enrolled in the fall 2023-24 academic year were still enrolled in the fall 2024 semester.

“Achieving the state’s highest enrollment levels in eight years, coupled with an overall increase in the number of African American and Hispanic students, is proof that we are moving our higher education system to one where everyone has access to higher education.” said IBHE Chairman Pranav. Kothari. “Higher education is one of the leading drivers of social and economic mobility, and I am committed to continuing to work with Governor JB Pritzker to make our system the best in the country.”

Seven of Illinois’ 12 public universities saw an increase in new transfer students year over year. And more students of color are getting advanced degrees.

“When we set out to transform our state’s higher education system through an equity lens with the implementation of a new strategic plan in 2021, we knew it would take some time to address decades of inequities that have become even more evident due to the pandemic, and we are seeing positive impact of this strategic plan,” said IBHE Executive Director Ginger Ostro. “It’s encouraging to see more students enrolling at our public universities, and we will continue to make the path to graduation more equitable for all students in Illinois.”

.

Copyright 2024. KWQC. All rights reserved.