The reason for this is three-fold:
- The declining demographic numbers
- Student preference for University of Washington over WSU
- Ongoing Covid policies forced upon students.
Washington State University reported this week that fall enrollment dropped by 7.7% this semester, reflecting lingering effects of the global pandemic, a strong job market and other challenges to universities across the country.
Census figures at the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College won’t be available until Oct. 15, which is the colleges’ official census day, university spokesmen said Friday. Logan Fowler of LCSC added, however, that new degree-seeking students were up 3.15% as of the 10th day of the fall semester. Dual credit registrations are still being processed, Fowler said.
According to a news release from WSU, the school’s fall 2022 systemwide enrollment is 27,539, a decrease of 2,305 students compared to last fall. This is the third consecutive year total enrollment has dipped at WSU, officials said.
Enrollment data was presented to members of the WSU Board of Regents Academic and Student Affairs Committee on Thursday. But there were some encouraging signs, including that the Pullman campus saw its number of first-year students increase for the first time in four years, from 3,305 last fall to 3,324 this semester.