Penn State maintains enrollment plan

Penn State maintains enrollment plan

University Park, Pa. - For the 10th consecutive year Penn State has experienced an increase in the number of students enrolled at the University’s 24 campus locations.

Overall enrollment at Penn State stands at a record 83,177 students this fall – an increase of 139 students over 2002-2003. At University Park, enrollment has risen to 41,795 students, an increase of 350 students.

The official University enrollment figures represent a one-day snapshot of the student body, typically taken several weeks into the fall semester.

“Penn State is committed to maintaining enrollment at University Park between 40,000 and 42,000 students, which is what we believe to be the ideal capacity at this campus,” said John Romano, vice provost and dean for enrollment management.

In 1996, Penn State restructured its statewide system to provide increased opportunities to upper-division students so that they could complete their degrees at a campus other than University Park. As a result, enrollment numbers at other Penn State campus locations continue to be in-line with projected growth patterns, with normal variations.

“One significant trend we continue to see is more students choosing to complete their baccalaureate degrees at their home campuses, while fewer students are changing their campus assignment to University Park,” said Romano.

In a report to the University’s Faculty Senate and Board of Trustees last month, Penn State President Graham B. Spanier indicated that changing demographic trends in Pennsylvania will create new challenges for the University in its recruitment of students over the next several years. As this year’s enrollment figures show, Penn State is in position to overcome these challenges.

“Pennsylvania colleges and universities will face a new round of enrollment challenges after 2008, when the modern-day peak year for college-bound high school graduates will pass,” said Spanier. “However, this trend is of lesser concern to the viability of Penn State, where our popularity with out-of-state students is strong and growing and where our overall admissions activity provides us some security.”

Penn State continues to be a popular choice among high school students. For the current school year, the University received a record number of applications – more than 86,000 – ranking Penn State among the nation’s most desirable choices.

“With a half billion dollars in annual research Penn State has become a major economic engine in the Commonwealth,” Spanier said. “A recent Gallup Poll of Americans rated us one of the most respected institutions in the nation and our Alumni Association continues to be the largest in the country.”

“In all the key indicators that we measure, including increases in donations to the University even during a soft national economy, Penn State has established a reputation for quality that is attractive to many people looking for a college to attend,” he said.

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For this year's enrollment figures, go to http://live.psu.edu/still_life/10_21_03_enrollment/index.html