UCM Enrollment Up, While Down in Missouri and Nationwide

A news story from the University of Central Missouri's Muleskinner says the University will see an increase in fall enrollment by 10 percent.

Chris Lang, assistant vice provost for admissions and analytics told the Muleskinner that enrollment in colleges and universities nationwide has dropped about two percent since the fall of 2020, and in Missouri, in general, enrollment has shrunk just under six percent.

So how has the University of Central Missouri bucked the trend?

Lang tells the Muleskinner that he credits the increase in enrollment to increasing the University's marketing, aligning programs to meet the needs of students, scholarship changes, and faculty outreach.

He explained to the Muleskinner that the University's unique faculty outreach program allows prospective students to meet with the faculty that will be teaching them over the four years they will be attending UCM.

Britni Hume, assistant director for New Student Programs told the Muleskinner, “A lot of other institutions cannot do that, whether it is because of how large they are or how small they are, and we are right in the middle as a mid-sized institution. We are the perfect balance, and our faculty cares about meeting with potential students, and that is something unique to UCM.”

The marketing can't be underestimated as well. Hume went on to tell the Muleskinner that parents and students came to the University to ask their questions. Now, students need to be able to recognize the university's brand online and be motivated to take action to learn more.

Whether it's the faculty interaction, the University being the right size, or a change in the marketing combined with making scholarships accessible to more students. One thing's for sure, it's impressive that while enrollment at Missouri Universities is down, the University of Central Missouri is growing.

That makes this Warrensburg resident proud.