Freshmen enrollment at Illinois public universities up, beats national trends

(25News Now) - The Illinois Board of Higher Education’s fall enrollment report shows freshman enrollment in the fall semester is up, beating trends nationally.

The IBHE says total enrollment of undergraduate students is up 0.3 percent, reversing several straight years of decreases.

Freshman enrollment is up 1.5 percent, a number the IBHE says is noteworthy, compared to fall 2021.

Nationally, freshman enrollment decreased 6.1 percent at all public universities.

Enrollment of African American and Latino students increased in the state but decreased around the country.

“Once again, Illinois is bucking national trends and exceeding expectations with the third consecutive year of freshman enrollment growth at our public universities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our state’s higher education systems are bouncing back better than ever—a testament to smart fiscal management and a state budget that includes the largest increase for higher education in twenty years and an all-time high for in-state scholarships totaling more than $750 million.”

The report can be viewed here.