Graphs - Enrollment

Facing their first drop in overall enrollment in a quarter century, Ohio's independent colleges and universities continue to seek innovative ways to help meet the state's goal of higher degree attainment despite drastic cuts in state-funded financial aid and a fallout in high school graduates.

In Ohio, at independent campuses a larger share of entering students come from nontraditional sources, such as transfers and part-timers, compared to the public universities.

The independent sector's steady growth remains a key in improving the educational attainment of Ohio's citizens.

This fall, the gap between Ohio's public sector enrollment and the headcount needed to keep pace with the state's 10-year enrollment goal grew slightly.

New data show that Ohio's ninth graders remain more likely to enroll in college than their counterparts around the nation.

This fall's enrollment increase - the independent sector's 24th consecutive year of growth - is the largest since fall 2003.

Although relatively stable, the share of freshman classes who are Ohio residents has fallen slightly since the high point in the fall of 2004, at both public and independent four-year campuses.

A quick overview of AICUO member institutions shows that more than 2/3 are still undergraduates, full-time, or Ohio residents.

Ohio independent colleges' commitment to adult students has grown substantially in the last two decades.

Ohio's independent colleges and universities also do more than their share in meeting another state strategic higher education goal: educating adults seeking bachelor's degrees.

Ohio's independent colleges do more than their share of meeting one of the state's strategic higher education goals: attracting students from out of state.

Final enrollment figures confirm the continued enrollment increases in Ohio's nonprofit higher education institutions.

Ohio's campuses, public and private, have opportunity to reach out even further than they already do to reach racial minorities.

The recent upsurge in Ohio public campus enrollments is largely concentrated at two-year campuses - namely community and technical colleges and local university branch campuses.

Lifting the tuition freeze appears not to have damaged Ohio’s public-sector enrollments for now, but the full effect will not become evident until announced tuition increases become effective in the winter or spring. The lion’s share of the fall increase was at the two-year campuses — community college headcount jumped by nearly 17% and branch campus headcount by more than 11% over fall 2008.

The strength of Ohio's independent colleges is evident from the 1.6 percent increase in enrollment - the 24th year in a row - during difficult economic times that include major cuts in state students financial aid.

Women already make up an increasing share of students at higher education institutions, and projections for the next decade point toward this trend continuing.

In the four-year sector, Ohio's independent colleges lead the way to success for nontraditional students.

Large majorities of entering freshmen at both public and independent colleges are from Ohio, but independent-college students have a better chance of learning with someone from another part of the country.

Ohio independent colleges and universities have been able to educate increasing numbers of students from their home state, thanks to state programs such as the Student Choice Grant. The future with much more limited funding is cloudy.

In all "STEM" fields, Ohio's independent colleges are the more efficient sector in graduating their majors.

New adjusted figures from the U.S. Department of Education show continued growth in Ohio's independent colleges this past academic year - despite the many challenges our sector faces.

A recent, sudden decrease in freshman-to-sophomore retention at four-year campuses is accented by a precipitous fall in 2008 in the public sector.

Despite increased college enrollments around the nation, admissions officers surveyed by the Chronicle of Higher Education saw worrisome signs for the future, as the "yield" - the percentage of students admitted who enrolled - went down this fall.

Enrollment last fall at the public University System of Ohio campuses increased by about 11,000 students — not even half of the growth required to reach the governor’s goal of 230,000 more students by 2016.

New data from the National Center for Education Statistics continues to show how Ohio's independent colleges have assumed a large share of the state's enrollment growth over the last two decades - and all of the growth in the four-year sector.

Ohio’s independent colleges serve many different types of students, but but more than 2/3 are Ohio residents, or undergraduates, or attend full-time.

Final figures for fall show the 21st consecutive year of enrollment growth among Ohio's independent colleges. This fall's preliminary figures will be available in the middle of October - with final data next spring.

Ohio's independent colleges educate more than their share of one of the state's targeted groups: undergraduates age 30 and over.

Ohio's new strategic plan for higher education emphasizes attracting out-of-state students, with the hope that many will settle here after graduation. Ohio's independent colleges lead in this effort.

At Ohio's independent colleges, new undergraduates have a higher share of transfers and part-time students - nontraditional students - than those at the state's public four-year main campuses.

Ohio Undergraduates by Age Cohort

Ohio's independent colleges demonstrate their commitment to adult students each year, enrolling a disproportionate share of those over the age of 25.

Transfers In at Member Institutions by Sector

Of the more than 6,000 students who transferred into Ohio independent colleges and universities this past fall, more than 2/3 — 4,185 in all — came to complete their education from the state’s community and technical colleges, or were attracted here from an out of state institution.

Enrollment Comparison: Public vs. Independent Institutions

A Major Share Of Ohio's Enrollment Growth.
Since the late 1980s, Ohio's independent colleges have contributed 1/3 of the state's increase in higher education enrollments, even though they enroll only 1/5 of the total students.

Source: Ohio Board of Regents Student Inventory Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Independent College Share of Ohio 4-year Undergraduates v. Ohio Bachelor's Degrees, 2005-06

Ohio's independent colleges and universities are more productive in assisting minority populations to reach their educational goals.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

Independent College Share of 4-Year Undergraduates By Age, Fall 2005

Ohio's private nonprofit colleges and universities do more than their share of educating the state's adult learners.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

Family Income Distribution at Ohio 4-Year Colleges and Universities AY 2003-04

Economically speaking, the undergraduate student bodies of Ohio's public and independent colleges and universities are nearly identical.

Source: Family income survey of ACT and SAT takers enrolled in Ohio institutions, via Ohio Board of Regents