Colleges across Kentucky are experiencing their biggest incoming class since COVID. This comes despite the enrollment cliff, an after effect on college enrollment felt nationwide caused by the birth rate decline following the 2008 market recession.
Heidi Neal, head of enrollment services at MSU, said the true freshman class has about the same number of students as last year’s, with most of the growth coming from enrollment of non-traditional students.
“Particularly with adult learners who have had some or no college, having then come back and do their college career. And they’re also looking at internationally where there is population growth,” said Neal. “How can we attract international students in Morehead State University?”
MSU welcomed 1,600 new students this semester. Neal added about 50 percent of this incoming class is from MSU’s eastern Kentucky service region.
“Retention is up as well as just our overall student population. So, when you look at our undergraduate students population from year to year, we’re seeing both incoming students and retention,” Neal said.
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System also experienced growth. This semester more than 70,000 students enrolled, accounting for a 6.4 percent increase. Before the semester is over, they expect to enroll more than 85,000 students across their 16 campuses.