Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

System Enrollment

Collapse

Support The Site!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • System Enrollment

    https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/201910080172

    Slippery Rock moves into 3rd place. Bloom fall to 4th.

  • #2
    The overall downturn simply mirrors the fact that fewer high-school students are choosing college. An anti-higher education attitude has permeated some places in Pennsylvania.

    I sometimes go through the Shippensburg community Facebook feed. One of the more alarming posts was the guy who was adamant that a young person should have to put in two years of military service before being allowed to attend college.

    It's out there.

    Comment


    • #3
      There are less high school students to select attending college - and the next cliff is about 5 years away. I've seen articles that show the percentage attending college is actually up but just so many less high school students.

      Comment


      • #4
        As long as we taxpayers are insuring student loans, schools will do everything they can to keep enrollment up even in the declining population of college age kids.

        Those that attended PASSHE institutions often say it doesn't matter where you went to school. But that's only a step or so away from saying it doesn't matter if you went to school. People today don't just change employers, they often change career fields. By the time a student graduates with a four-year degree in a technology field, the technology has moved on. A college degree is often just an easy was for employers to consider a person, just like an SAT/ACT score does that for college admission.

        So often kids major in "professional studies" which is basically "i don't know". Or if you ask a student what they plan on doing, the response is "i don't know". The college degree should be a step in attaining a goal. If a person can get prepared more quickly and affordably for a career than a four-year degree, they're probably better served in doing that.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post
          There are less high school students to select attending college - and the next cliff is about 5 years away. I've seen articles that show the percentage attending college is actually up but just so many less high school students.
          I've seen this too, and I believe it. Schools are so far over capacity, they are looking for any possible group of students, and never tell students that they aren't really suited for college. The image of Judge Smails telling Danny that "The world needs ditch diggers, too" is how people take that information.

          Note IUP had the worst decrease this year.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by ironmaniup View Post

            I've seen this too, and I believe it. Schools are so far over capacity, they are looking for any possible group of students, and never tell students that they aren't really suited for college. The image of Judge Smails telling Danny that "The world needs ditch diggers, too" is how people take that information.

            Note IUP had the worst decrease this year.
            Several schools (Cheyney, Edinboro, and Mansfield that I can confirm) increased their admission standard so its a "addition by subtraction" strategy. For 2 or 3 consecutive years Edinboro has had the highest average high school GPA of any PASSHE freshman class. So they're bringing in less but they're retaining more.

            The capacity issue is related to the shock at the enrollment losses since ~2010. High school enrollment peaked around 2008 so it makes sense that college enrollment peaked around the same time. PASSHE's problem is that the schools leveraged that growth for construction approvals and now they have excess capacity.

            Click image for larger version

Name:	LGTEGRP4VRBSHBSWPUPBWLVEKI.jpg
Views:	205
Size:	53.7 KB
ID:	433973

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

              Several schools (Cheyney, Edinboro, and Mansfield that I can confirm) increased their admission standard so its a "addition by subtraction" strategy. For 2 or 3 consecutive years Edinboro has had the highest average high school GPA of any PASSHE freshman class. So they're bringing in less but they're retaining more.

              The capacity issue is related to the shock at the enrollment losses since ~2010. High school enrollment peaked around 2008 so it makes sense that college enrollment peaked around the same time. PASSHE's problem is that the schools leveraged that growth for construction approvals and now they have excess capacity.

              Click image for larger version  Name:	LGTEGRP4VRBSHBSWPUPBWLVEKI.jpg Views:	0 Size:	53.7 KB ID:	433973
              Last edited by IUPNation; 10-09-2019, 07:35 AM.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

                Several schools (Cheyney, Edinboro, and Mansfield that I can confirm) increased their admission standard so its a "addition by subtraction" strategy. For 2 or 3 consecutive years Edinboro has had the highest average high school GPA of any PASSHE freshman class. So they're bringing in less but they're retaining more.

                The capacity issue is related to the shock at the enrollment losses since ~2010. High school enrollment peaked around 2008 so it makes sense that college enrollment peaked around the same time. PASSHE's problem is that the schools leveraged that growth for construction approvals and now they have excess capacity.

                Click image for larger version

Name:	LGTEGRP4VRBSHBSWPUPBWLVEKI.jpg
Views:	205
Size:	53.7 KB
ID:	433973

                Any idea how our (4) privates are doing (UPJ, SH, Mercyhurst and #LIT-AF)?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post


                  Any idea how our (4) privates are doing (UPJ, SH, Mercyhurst and #LIT-AF)?
                  I think the significance of this report without a report of all colleges in the state/region/nation is minimal. It's like saying that because the value of houses sold on one street have gone down, then that street is turning into a less desirable place to live. But if the same downturn is happening in the surrounding neighborhood/city/state what you have is a cyclical adjustment that absent panic selling will adjust itself in time. I don't have stats on it but my impression from casual reading is that this is a nationwide trend attributable to lower birth rates and different career options that will self correct given time. Most likely several PASSHE schools will either close or be absorbed and the rest will continue albeit in a much tougher climate. The rush of upgrading on the campuses is most likely over though I'd never put it past well connected legislators getting projects funded to satisfy their constituents.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by CALUPA69 View Post

                    I think the significance of this report without a report of all colleges in the state/region/nation is minimal. It's like saying that because the value of houses sold on one street have gone down, then that street is turning into a less desirable place to live. But if the same downturn is happening in the surrounding neighborhood/city/state what you have is a cyclical adjustment that absent panic selling will adjust itself in time. I don't have stats on it but my impression from casual reading is that this is a nationwide trend attributable to lower birth rates and different career options that will self correct given time. Most likely several PASSHE schools will either close or be absorbed and the rest will continue albeit in a much tougher climate. The rush of upgrading on the campuses is most likely over though I'd never put it past well connected legislators getting projects funded to satisfy their constituents.
                    I was curious because there is the notion of many that as our 'state' schools have increased in price, many students are opting to private schools (who can drastically discount tuition). Locally, the Pitt and Penn State branch campuses are also playing a factor. Students are opting for the 'better brand' and attending the Penn State-Altoona's of the world. They still get a 'Penn State' diploma when it's all said and done. I'm not talking thousands but, at this point, every lost student counts.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Pretty much, a few years ago, when punxy was still for the at risk students, they didn't and got killed on retention rates. So they have switched, like Edinboro. We are behind the other western schools since we didn't have the initial terrible drops like Edinboro and Clarion. The thing everyone figured out was that bringing in weaker students impacts retention of capable students, and the number of in coming capable students in a negative way.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Take "applications are up" with a grain of salt. High school kids now apply to 3x as many schools as they did in 2000. I saw an article that says the new average is 10 schools. The Common Application makes it easier to do this and the increase in application fee waivers lessens the burden. IUP could have 100,000 applications and still only 2,500 freshmen enroll.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post

                          I was curious because there is the notion of many that as our 'state' schools have increased in price, many students are opting to private schools (who can drastically discount tuition). Locally, the Pitt and Penn State branch campuses are also playing a factor. Students are opting for the 'better brand' and attending the Penn State-Altoona's of the world. They still get a 'Penn State' diploma when it's all said and done. I'm not talking thousands but, at this point, every lost student counts.
                          Actually, with the branch campuses making up almost 40 percent of Penn State's enrollment, I think it's safe to say that it is thousands. Obviously, not all of these students would have been going to a PASSHE school, but it's not a stretch to believe that the state system would pick up quite a few students if the PSU network was reduced.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post


                            Any idea how our (4) privates are doing (UPJ, SH, Mercyhurst and #LIT-AF)?
                            UPJ is down 5% from last year and down 17% since 2010.

                            I believe Gannon is up slightly (due to the growth of their physical therapy intensive campus in Florida) and Mercyhurst is down (judging by their recent administrative cuts). I can't seem to find anything on Seton Hill.
                            Last edited by Fightingscot82; 10-09-2019, 10:55 AM.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Ship69 View Post

                              Actually, with the branch campuses making up almost 40 percent of Penn State's enrollment, I think it's safe to say that it is thousands. Obviously, not all of these students would have been going to a PASSHE school, but it's not a stretch to believe that the state system would pick up quite a few students if the PSU network was reduced.
                              I once lost out on a job to someone whose professional bio says that they're a graduate of "Penn State" but attended Altoona and currently work with someone who trumpets her "Penn State" education but attended Behrend.

                              Comment

                              Ad3

                              Collapse
                              Working...
                              X