09 October 2023- Fall enrollment of new students increased for the second consecutive year at state-owned universities, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) announced today. Enrollment of new first-time students increased 3.4% in Fall 2023 and is up a combined 10% in Fall 2022 and Fall 2023.
“More freshmen and transfer students are choosing State System universities, and that is a very encouraging trend for the state-owned universities and our efforts to address worker shortages in Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Cynthia Shapira, chairwoman of the PASSHE Board of Governors. “The State System has frozen tuition and aligned academic programs to in-demand jobs, and two straight years of new-student enrollment growth shows that is what students want. The strategy is working.”
Seven PASSHE universities increased first-time undergraduate degree or certificate-seeking enrollment in Fall 2023:
- East Stroudsburg 21.1%
- Cheyney 15.2%
- Indiana 15%
- Commonwealth 11.8%
- Slippery Rock 5.3%
- West Chester 2.7%
- Shippensburg 1.6%
Total new first-time undergraduate degree or certificate-seeking student enrollment of those seven universities increased 9%.
“The needs of students and the state are changing, and State System universities are continuing to evolve to best serve learners, employers and Pennsylvania’s economy,” said PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein. “Our mission is to provide a high-quality education that prepares students for in-demand jobs at the lowest possible price, and I commend the faculty, staff and university leaders for their dedication to students and the future of Pennsylvania.”
