Pennsylvania colleges take a hit in undergraduate enrollment

A new national survey of fall college enrollment trends by the National Student Clearinghouse found the impact of covid-19 and a shrinking pool of new high school graduates has left its mark on Pennsylvania colleges.

The survey based on preliminary numbers from about 22% of the nation’s colleges and universities, found overall undergraduate enrollment is down 9.2% in Pennsylvania compared to a 2.5% decline nationwide.

While many local colleges and universities say they are still finalizing fall enrollment numbers, those that have reported them tend to mirror national trends. They saw graduate school enrollment increasing as students facing a tough job market and some faced with job losses opted to continue their education even as some new high school graduates and international students deferred enrolling this fall.

Slippery Rock and California universities recently reported enrollment increases at the graduate level — 5.7% at California and 9% at Slippery Rock — were sufficient to offset small declines in undergraduate enrollment at the public universities this fall.

Those numbers exceed national increases in graduate enrollment of 3.9% in the Clearinghouse survey.

Locally, both Duquesne and Robert Morris universities said they saw some declines in enrollment among international students after consulates around the world closed during the pandemic.

At Robert Morris, where both graduate and undergraduate enrollment declined, taking total enrollment numbers from 4,608 last fall to 4,150 this fall, university spokesman Jonathan Potts said a drop in international enrollment and the graduation of a large class last spring contributed to the numbers.

At Duquesne, which reported a 1.7% increase in graduate enrollment and a slight decrease in undergraduate enrollment, officials said the number of students who deferred enrolling for a year doubled this year as families grappled with the pandemic.

“On the flip side, we had some students enroll due to loss of jobs during the pandemic who decided to take this opportunity to pursue higher education,” said Debra Zugates, Duquesne’s assistant vice president for enrollment management.

Largest drops: Community colleges

While undergraduate enrollment losses hit four-year colleges and universities, the new survey found sharpest declines in enrollment happened at community colleges. Although the two-year public colleges typically see enrollment increases during economic downturns, preliminary numbers indicate they area facing an 8% decline in enrollment this fall.

Locally, Westmoreland County Community College reported enrollment there dipped 11% this fall. Community College of Allegheny County has yet to report fall enrollment numbers.

Officials initially anticipated an even larger decline in enrollment at Westmoreland but said late recruitment efforts and enrollment assistance kept losses at 11%.

“We also added an eight-week session to our schedule, which worked well for students who were making last-minute decisions,” said Westmoreland spokeswoman Janet Corrine-Harvey.

Harvey said the school added a winter session to the schedule to assist students looking to pick up credits. Classes for the new session begin Dec. 14.