ST. LOUIS — More Missouri and Illinois students are saying no to college this fall.
About three-quarters of the 25 largest colleges and universities in eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois experienced enrollments decreases in fall 2020 compared with fall 2019, according to numbers they reported to the Business Journal.
Just four schools — Maryville University, Missouri Baptist University, Logan University and the University of Missouri - Columbia — logged an enrollment increase. (Due to unavailable 2019 data, Ranken Technical College and Western Governors University Missouri were not included in the analysis.)
The drops are likely due to students opting to take a gap year because of coronavirus-related economic and health uncertainties, as well as trepidation about online and hybrid learning formats.
Many local and national colleges have been experiencing enrollment declines for years, which in many cases have been exacerbated by COVID-19.
Click here for the full story.
