FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2016
Board of Regents Announce 2016 Fall Semester Enrollment
(Topeka, Kansas) - Preliminary fall enrollment figures released today by the Kansas Board of Regents show a slight increase in systemwide enrollment, with growth at 19 of the state’s 32 public higher education institutions.
“This is great news – we know strong enrollment is crucial to increasing the number of Kansans who hold some type of postsecondary credential,” stated Dr. Blake Flanders, President and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents. “The future of the Kansas economy rests on having the workforce Kansas employers need, whether that’s reflected by earning a technical certificate, associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree.”
Across the six state universities, enrollment was effectively flat, with an overall increase of 21 students (0.02%) compared to the preliminary census day count in 2015. The largest increases were at Fort Hays State University (448 students; 3.15%) and the University of Kansas (310 students; 1.10%). Kansas State University realized a decrease in the number of enrollments (367 students; -1.52%), as did Emporia State University (207 students; -3.40%) and Pittsburg State University (142 students; -1.96%). There was nearly flat enrollment at both Wichita State University (decreasing by 21 students; -0.14%) and Washburn University, the state’s municipal university (increasing by 26 students; 0.33%).
The attached spreadsheet provides preliminary fall enrollment figures for each institution.
In the two-year sector, enrollment was up slightly across the state’s 19 community colleges with a reported increase of 95 students (0.13%). Enrollment also increased across the state’s technical colleges, where an additional 447 students (6.14%) are enrolled this fall compared to the preliminary census day count in 2015.
In total, 2016 fall semester enrollment is 182,690 students as of census day at each institution, a preliminary headcount of students enrolled on the 20th day of class. While the number of students enrolled on a given day during the fall semester is no longer the indicator for total enrollment that it once was, this number has been recorded for over fifty years and so continues to be reported.
However, academic year enrollment more accurately captures total systemwide participation. In 2015-2016, the total systemwide enrollment is estimated to have been approximately 250,000. Based on current enrollment numbers, the Kansas Board of Regents projects enrollment for the 2016-2017 academic year will remain relatively flat.
For more information, contact Breeze Richardson at (785) 430-4237 or
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About the Kansas Board of Regents:
The nine-member Kansas Board of Regents is the governing board of the state’s six universities and the statewide coordinating board for the state’s 32 public higher education institutions (six state universities, one municipal university, nineteen community colleges, and six technical colleges). In addition, the Board administers the state’s student financial aid, adult education, high school equivalency, and career and technical education programs. Private proprietary schools and out-of-state institutions are authorized by the Kansas Board of Regents to operate in Kansas.
Board of Regents Announce 2016 Fall Semester Enrollment (PDF download)