The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development has released figures showing enrollment declined for some of the state’s public colleges and universities this fall while others increased in their student population.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis has the largest gain over last fall with 9.5%, followed by Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville with 8.3% and Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City with a 6% jump.

The largest enrollment declines compared to the fall 2020 include Missouri Southern State University in Joplin with a 13.7% drop, followed by Harris Stowe State University in St. Louis with 13.6%, and Lincoln University in Jefferson City with 10.%.

Nationally, the U.S. college head count of 6.5% is on track to be the largest two-year decline in at least 50 years. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center says schools enrolling high numbers of students from disadvantaged background have especially felt the pain over the past two years.

The Department’s comparison of fall enrollment figures from 2016 to this year show three schools increased enrollment. State Technical College in Linn grew by 65%, followed by Northwest Missouri State in Maryville with a nearly 21% jump and Missouri State University – West Plains campus increasing enrollment by 1%.

The other 24 higher education institutions all have had declining enrollment since 2016.

To view the full list of fall enrollment figures for Missouri’s public colleges and universities, click here.

Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet