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WKBN.com: Fewer students are attending Ohio universities

UC administrator discusses how the university is breaking a national and state enrollment trend

headshot of Cedric Ricks By Cedric Ricks 260-415-8554
2 minute read February 5, 2023

Enrollment at U.S. universities and colleges has dropped by 1 million students since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

WKBN.com reports that an analysis of nine Ohio public four-year universities shows that enrollment is down at most – but not all – universities across the state. Some universities’ numbers suggest a clear correlation between the pandemic and declining enrollment, while other declines began far before COVID-19 existed.

But the University of Cincinnati recorded its largest enrollment ever with 47,914 students for the fall semester. The figure represents nearly a 2.6% increase over last year’s enrollment or an additional 1,204 students.

UC’s first-year class is the largest ever with 8,218 students representing a nearly 16% increase. Overall, the UC student body is its most diverse ever with students of color representing 25.5%. The university saw its Black undergraduate population increase by 11% while its Latinx undergraduate population grew by 14%. 

Jack Miner, vice provost for enrollment at UC, spoke with WKBN.com about UC’s growth. Applications for fall 2023 have already surpassed 32,000 or a 22% increase since last year.

“We’ve really been focusing on what our values are — we are absolutely an access institution,” Miner told WKBN.com.  “We’ve really focused on creating opportunities for Black students, Latinx students and first-generation students to go to UC at higher numbers, and really trying to target populations of students that didn’t really see college as part of their future before.”

Read the full story from WKBN.com online.

Learn more about enrollment at UC online.

Featured image shows UC students at the 2022 Convocation in Fifth Third Arena.  Photo by Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Communications. 

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