March 29, 2024

Officials say enrollment drop at Iowa universities planned

DES MOINES (AP) — Enrollment is down at Iowa’s three public universities, but officials at two of the schools say the decline is intentional.

The Des Moines Register reports that overall enrollment at University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa dropped 2.2 percent this fall to about 79,600 students.

The Iowa Board of Regents says the University of Iowa and Iowa State University want more manageable enrollment levels as officials focus on retaining students and increasing graduation rates.

Brent Gage is UI’s associate vice president of enrollment management. He says the school wants to focus on recruiting top students.

Laura Doering is ISU’s associate vice president of enrollment management and student success. She says the school is creating a five-year plan that may limit enrollment between 35,000 and 37,000 students.