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SALT LAKE CITY — Several of Utah's public colleges and universities are "bucking the national trend of decreasing enrollments," according to a report released Wednesday by the Utah System of Higher Education.
Between 2011 and 2013, national college enrollment dropped by 5 percent, a difference of almost 1 million students, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report. While Utah was not immune to the trend, half of the state's eight public colleges and universities showed a net increase in fall enrollment from the previous year.
"The big takeaway is we're bucking the national trend," said David Buhler, commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education. "Overall, our numbers continue to hold steady."
Buhler added that enrollment will increase further next year with the return of missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose numbers surged after the church lowered the age requirement for service.
The report offers a snapshot of college enrollment three weeks into the fall semester and measures enrollment in terms of a full-time equivalent and a total headcount.
The full-time equivalent is an approximation that equates multiple part-time students to one full-time student for budgeting and course planning purposes. The total headcount is a larger number that includes all students regardless of how many credits they take.
Utah's full-time equivalent increased 0.12 percent from last year even though the total headcount is down 0.17 percent, the report states.
"What that's telling us is there are more students going full time," Buhler said.
The big takeaway is we're bucking the national trend. Overall, our numbers continue to hold steady.
–David Buhler, Utah System of Higher Education
More full-time students often translates into higher graduation rates, especially for those working toward a four-year degree, according Melanie Heath, spokeswoman for the Utah System of Higher Education.
"We always say that time is the enemy when you're trying to complete a credential or degree," Heath said. "Part-time students, when they take those courses more piecemeal, it's a lot easier for them to stop out because it's just taking so long for them to finish their credential. The data shows the longer you take to finish, the more likely you are not to finish."
More than 70 percent of students at Salt Lake Community College are enrolled part time. And while fall numbers for the college show a drop of 5 percent — lower than the national decrease of 10 percent — the school's ever-changing population is difficult to capture in one snapshot, according to college spokesman Joy Tlou.
Already since the census was taken, Salt Lake Community College's full-time equivalent has increased by 84 students, and the total head count is 2,839 students higher than it was three weeks into fall semester, Tlou said.
"What that lets you know about the enrollment number is it's a dynamic number that can change on a daily basis because we have students that can enroll in programs that get them in and out of our institution in six weeks," he said.
Such programs may include technical certifications or training programs custom-fitted for specific companies and their employees. This often causes enrollment at institutions like Salt Lake Community College to mirror unemployment rates, Buhler said.
"The economy is always a factor," he said. "You just have to take into account that it can lower enrollments a little bit when the economy is doing really well. But that's a good problem to have."
Some nontraditional programs, including short-term trainings, noncredit technical certifications and distance education, are not included in the third-week totals because they do not receive state funding and are not budget-related, Heath said.
But seats in the classroom remain in high demand at Salt Lake Community College, which sees more than 60,000 students each year, Tlou said.
"These are students that might start in the fall and take one semester, might go to school short-term, might take one class a year or something along those lines. But they stop and they start based on their own academic schedule," he said. "So it's about giving students access to education, and we fulfill that role and make sure they're successful."
Utah Valley University saw about 2.5 percent growth in its total headcount and a full-time equivalent increase of almost 3.4 percent — more than any other public university in the state.
UVU, like others in the state, serves a dual purpose of awarding associate degrees and technical certifications, as well as bachelor's and graduate degrees. At an almost even split, 48 percent of students at UVU attend part time, according to university spokesman Chris Taylor.
"We still have a lot who attend part time," Taylor said. "But those who attend full time are on the rise."
Part of the rise is due to marketing, he said. A program called 15 to Finish urges students at all eight of Utah's public colleges and universities to enroll full time. Most bachelor's degrees can be completed in four years when the student takes 15 credits each semester. Tuition at some universities plateaus at a certain level to encourage students to take more credits.
But growth in enrollment is also due in part to a growing population. UVU officials project enrollment to exceed 40,000 by 2020, up from its current headcount of 31,332, Taylor said.
"I think the growth that we're seeing at this particular point has a lot to do with the growth in the region that we serve, particularly within the ranks of public education," he said. "The wave of students coming up through the ranks is beginning to manifest itself."
