Moving the Needle: ESU Sees New Student Enrollment Gains
Emporia State University is seeing results from investments in academic programs, student experience and enhanced scholarships.
Emporia, KS (10/02/2024) — The Kansas Board of Regents released 20th-day enrollment numbers for fall 2024 today, and Emporia State reported a 16% increase in new student enrollment compared to fall 2023. These gains are in all categories - freshmen (6%), transfers (18%) and graduate (7%).
The university also reported significant enrollment gains in three units: Interdisciplinary Studies (11%), School of Visual and Performing Arts (9%) and The Teachers College (9%).
Student retention from first year to second year also improved by 8% from fall 2023, the largest one-year increase recorded for the school and the second-highest one-year retention rate.
Emporia State's overall enrollment for fall 2024 is 4,557 total students, down 2% from 2023. As part of the three-year investment-based transformation plan, the university forecasted impact to student enrollment. At this time last year, ESU projected that fall 2024 overall enrollment would be down 5% before plateauing and stabilizing in fall 2025.
As Emporia State continues to move forward amidst the changing landscape of higher education, it continues to attack the cost of education through enhanced scholarships that have helped drive enrollment in specific programs. It also continues to invest in strike zone programs for careers that meet the needs and wants of both students and the state of Kansas. These include education, nursing, health sciences, business, technology, cybersecurity and library sciences.
About Emporia State University
Emporia State University offers a range of academic programs through its institute and seven schools: Applied Health Sciences, Business & Technology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Library and Information Management & Library and Archives, Science & Mathematics and Visual and Performing Arts, along with The Teachers College.
As the sole public university in Kansas to be recognized as a College of Distinction for eight consecutive years, ESU stands out for its innovative education practices. It ensures accessible education by offering in-state tuition rates to full-time undergraduate students from all lower-48 United States. Additionally, full-time undergraduates benefit from flat-rate tuition - students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours with at least one credit hour on campus pay a flat rate.
For more information on how to build your future at Emporia State University, please visit www.emporia.edu.