Enrollment is down for the fall semester at Missouri State University.
When classes began Monday, 20,330 students were enrolled on the MSU Springfield campus. That’s a 4.6 percent decrease from last fall.
According to the university, contributing factors include students graduating early because of the reduced number of hours needed to graduate; a smaller number of continuing students following the graduation of the largest class ever in May; fewer students graduating from high school this year; and fewer students attending community college in Missouri, which decreases the transfer pool.
President Clif Smart said they’ve been aware of the projected decrease and have planned proactively. He said they are "staying focused on long-term enrollment growth and on programs that increase access to high-demand fields."
The official enrollment report will be available September 17.
Graduate student enrollment set a new record, increasing by 3% over last fall to 3,746.
