Writer: Ryan Gandolfo
2 min read September 2023 — Deciphering enrollment trends in higher education has become increasingly complex as student expectations and plans for entering the workforce have shifted.
The University of Cincinnati, which saw a record enrollment of more than 50,000 students this fall, has found success in attracting new students by increasing the university’s national profile through record-high research expenditures and community collaboration through cooperative education programs. Also, joining a Power Five conference doesn’t hurt the cause as well.
UC student enrollment increased more than 6% over the past year and has seen a 19% jump in the last decade. The critical mass of students has allowed the university to deliver a strong talent pipeline to southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky and eastern Indiana.
“From growth within the innovation district to joining the Big 12, its $10.6 billion economic impact and now this milestone enrollment, the University of Cincinnati continues to pave the way for the future of Cincinnati,” said Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, as cited by UC.
UC’s significant economic impact can be attributed in part to its growing reputation as a research institution. A record $615 million was spent on research by UC and its affiliates in FY2022 — surpassing Princeton University and the University of Georgia, among other notable schools.
But beyond research grants and Saturday afternoon’s at Nippert Stadium against Big 12 competition, the university does a better job than most high education institutions in linking students to desirable work opportunities through its co-op programs. UC is credited as the birthplace of cooperative education, a “structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience,” as defined by the Cooperative Education & Internship Association (CEIA).
“Co-op students are our bread and butter, and we wouldn’t be the company we are today without these students, our partnership with UC and its co-op program,” said Makenze Rose, HR generalist at technology consulting firm Kinetic Vision and Cincinnati-based co-op employer.
UC ranks as the No. 1 public university for co-op programs, signaling to students looking for a smooth transition from the campus to the workplace.
For most of Ohio’s public universities and community colleges, however, enrollment is a sore subject. According to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the state’s higher ed public institutions collectively saw a 12% decline in enrollment from fall 2012 to fall 2022, with the University of Akron’s total enrollment plummeting by 48% over the past decade.
“Many institutions of higher education – both in the state and across the country – are seeing a decline in enrollment due to a number of factors that have been in the news, not the least of which has been the impact of COVID-19. The University of Akron is dealing with those same challenges,” said university spokesperson Cristine Boyd, as cited by Ohio Capital Journal.
In other parts of the country, college educators are looking at economic and demographic trends to address enrollment dips. “In education, we are often counter-cyclical with the economy. When things go up, our enrollment goes down, but when things are down our enrollment goes up. It is our job to smooth over those differences,” State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota President Carol Probstfeld told Invest:. “This is why we are partnering with Fleet Force for commercial driving licensing, and why we are opening a coding academy. These things run against the cycle.”
Embracing diversity in the student population has also helped schools like UC continue to grow, as students of color represent 26% of the student body. According to UC Vice Provost for enrollment management Jack Miner, the fall 2023 first-year class is also the most diverse the school has seen.
Probstfeld echoed a similar sentiment while identifying where their focus should lie to boost enrollment going forward. “We recently just became a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS), with the Hispanic portion of our student body exceeding 25%. They are the fastest-growing population in the region. That is the biggest increase, but also, we have seen that the numbers continue to follow the national trend. There are more and more women going into higher education than men. The national average is around 70% women to 30% men, so we are looking to figure out how to get more men enrolled in our region,” she said.
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