Dip seen in number of undergraduates

The number of undergraduates attending colleges and universities in the state dropped by 5.7% percent this past fall compared to fall 2019, according to data presented Friday to the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The 111,125 undergraduates enrolled this past fall was down from the 117,813 undergraduates enrolled in fall 2019, according to totals that excluded high school students taking college courses.

Data presented at the meeting went back to fall 2011, showing the fall 2020 decline to be the largest year-overyear drop in undergraduates during this nine-year period.

But even before the pandemic, there had been a trend of fewer and fewer undergraduates in the state.

Since reaching a historical peak in fall 2011 of 142,442 undergraduates, the state has seen the number of undergraduates decline each year.

However, the state saw a slight uptick in its numbers of graduate students, which increased to 16,152 in fall 2020 compared with 16,112 in fall 2019.

“More than half of our public universities saw an increase in graduate student enrollment from fall of ’19 to fall of 2020,” Sonia Hazelwood, an assistant director with the state Division of Higher Education, told board members.

Looking at total enrollment, among the 11 public universities described in detail in the presentation, only two — the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences — had enrollment increases of greater than 0.1%.

Enrollment at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff increased to 2,668, up from 2,498 students in fall 2019. UAMS enrollment increased to 2,907 students, up from 2,768.

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville gained three students compared with 2019, enrolling 27,562 this past fall.

Among the state’s 22 twoyear colleges, only one — Arkansas State University Three Rivers — showed an increase of greater than 0.1%. The community college in Malvern saw its enrollment rise to 1,243 students this past fall from 1,150 a year earlier.