Iowa’s public universities see increase in enrollment after drop last year

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - After a drop in enrollment at all three universities last year, Iowa’s three public universities saw an increase this year.

At the University of Iowa, the Class of 2027, made up of 5,064 students, is the fourth largest in the university’s history.

Iowa State University’s latest numbers show an enrollment of 30,177, an increase of 208 students from last year.

The University of Northern Iowa announced its enrollment for this year is 9,021 students. That’s the biggest year-to-year increase in more than a decade for UNI.

Despite the increase, enrollment is still the lowest it’s been since the 1970s. It’s also mirroring a nationwide decline in college enrollment.

UNI Director of University Relations Pete Moris said we’re seeing a decline across the Midwest of high school students going on to any sort of post secondary education.

“We’re really trying to adjust our curriculum to meet the needs of students, and one of the really encouraging signs for us is we’ve had a 7.5 percent increase in students who want to live on campus,” Moris said. “And I think that speaks to the sense of community we have here at UNI.”