With an increasing number of Oregon’s high school graduates opting to stay home for their higher education, the Oregon University System estimates a record number of students will attend the state’s public universities in the 2000-01 school year.
This fall, a total of 64,628 students are projected to attend the seven OUS schools, an overall increase of 3.5 percent from the beginning of the 1999 school year.The previous record was 64,087 students in 1980.
To calculate the enrollment, OUS looks at a combination of data, including the number of high school graduates and enrollment patterns in previous years, OUS spokesman Bob Bruce said.
“We’ve always been pretty close,” Bruce said.
Jim Buch, University associate vice president for student academic affairs, said the number of University students will rise for the first time in three years. An estimated 16,800 students are schedule to attend the University next year, an increase of approximately 100 students.
“All of the indications suggest that this is a good thing,” Buch said. “This is not a situation where the campus is going to be crowded. This suggests a stabilized enrollment, which is what we’ve been working for.”
University Director of Admissions Martha Pitts said the entering freshman class is larger than the entering class of 1999, but it will take a couple years before the full effects and overall enrollment benefits of the new class take place.
“I’m very excited about the increase,” Pitts said. “Not only is enrollment increasing, but the quality of students is up as well. We’re getting larger and stronger classes which helps everyone on campus.”
The higher number of students means a larger overall budget for the University, Buch said. Tuition accounts for approximately one-third of the University’s $330 million revenue, according to the Accounting Office. The increase, however, will not have a dramatic impact on next year’s budget, Buch said.
In light of the predicted increases, Bruce attributes the rising enrollment numbers to stronger recruiting by the schools.
“The campuses knew they had to spend more time promoting their schools,” Bruce said. “And they’ve done a good job with that.”
Additionally, Bruce attributes the enrollment increase to stable tuition rates and a rise in the number of students who return after their freshman year.
“There’s always an unknown in terms of student retention,” Bruce said. “But the campuses have done a terrific job of promoting retention.”