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During fall 2021, overall enrollment at �¼������ϲ�’s public universities increased with notable growth in students taking online classes, according to the Fiscal Year 2022 Fall Enrollment Report approved by the �¼������ϲ� Board of Regents. Online degree program students now comprise a third - 33.4% - of the university system’s total enrollment.   

Total student enrollment at �¼������ϲ�’s public universities was 212,714 in fall 2021, a 4% increase overall from fall 2020. Online enrollment is driving much of the increase with online degree program enrollment within �¼������ϲ�’s public universities increasing by 82.1% since fall 2017. This year’s report also reflects steady enrollment growth in out-of-state and international immersion students.   

On-campus traditional immersion student enrollment is up slightly from last fall when the COVID-19 pandemic influenced in-person enrollment, yet a 0.7% decline from last year in �¼������ϲ� resident student enrollment is concerning in an era where the state’s workforce is increasingly reliant on skills gained through higher education.  

“Our high-quality universities continue to attract students from around the country and throughout the world,” said �¼������ϲ� Chair Lyndel Manson. “Yet, it is concerning that enrollment of �¼������ϲ� resident students has declined. �¼������ϲ�’s economy is at an inflection point where it is incumbent to invest in higher education to provide the qualified workforce of the future and raise quality of life for �¼������ϲ�ns.”  

According to the report, in addition to enrollment shifts resulting from the recent pandemic, future undergraduate enrollment increases may be progressively more difficult as a result of declining �¼������ϲ� birth rates during the Great Recession. Total K-12 enrollment is projected to be flat for the next few years and then begin to decline. Depending on net migration, the decline is expected to occur no later than 2025.  

Without increases in the percentage of �¼������ϲ� high school graduates that choose to enroll in a four-year degree program, demographic reductions may impact �¼������ϲ�’s long-term educational attainment levels.   

“If current trends continue in �¼������ϲ�, only 16.8 percent of today’s ninth graders will graduate from a four-year college by 2029, and job forecasts by the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that 50 percent of all new jobs created between 2019-2029 will have a minimum requirement of a bachelor’s degree,” said �¼������ϲ� Executive Director John Arnold. “For �¼������ϲ� to maintain its competitive edge, we must increase educational attainment among our residents.”   

This year’s report shows a continued increase in enrollment of historically underrepresented populations – Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans – of 2.7% from fall 2020. The University of �¼������ϲ� and Northern �¼������ϲ� University are currently designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) by the U.S Department of Education.  

Key takeaways from the Fiscal Year 2022 Fall Enrollment Report include:  

• In fall 2021, 212,714 students enrolled in �¼������ϲ�’s public universities. This is the largest enrollment in �¼������ϲ�’s public universities history. 

• Fall 2021 enrollment increased 4.0% year-over-year. Much of the enrollment increase was in online programs. Online growth has been especially significant at �¼������ϲ� State University, which now enrolls 57,848 online students. Overall, the universities’ have 70,995 online students. 

• �¼������ϲ�’s public universities saw a 0.7% decrease in �¼������ϲ� resident enrollment to 105,442. 

• �¼������ϲ�’s public universities currently enroll 107,272 non-resident and international students, a 9.2% increase from fall 2020. 

• Enrollment of Black, Hispanic and Native American students continues to increase. Students from historically underrepresented populations currently comprise 29.6% (63,252 students) of enrollment at the universities.  

• The undergraduate degree program with the largest enrollment at ASU is business with 9,601 students currently enrolled, nursing at NAU with 1,225 students and psychology at U�¼������ϲ� with 1,956 students.  

• The master’s degree program with the largest enrollment at ASU is special education with 2,409 students currently enrolled, organizational leadership at NAU with 236 students and business administration at U�¼������ϲ� with 564 students.  

• �¼������ϲ�’s public universities have approximately 5,064 students enrolled in degree programs at statewide learning centers.