AU, Georgia’s public university system soar to record enrollment

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – University System of Georgia enrollment this fall climbed to a record high of 344,392 students, reversing two years of enrollment declines with a 3% annual gain.

Augusta University is also at a record high, reaching a milestone of 10,000 students, an increase from just over 9,800 in fall 2022.

Meanwhile, East Georgia State College in Swainsboro bucked the statewide trend with a decline in enrollment.

Across the Peach State, enrollment increased at 23 of USG’s 26 public colleges and universities. The enrollment across the system rose by 9,993 over last fall.

Much like public higher education institutions across the nation, USG enrollment had fallen in the past two years after seven consecutive years of growth. Between 2013 and 2020, USG saw a steady increase in the number of students attending its institutions, with record-high headcounts each fall between 2015 and 2020 — including the previous all-time high in fall 2020 of 341,489 students.

Then, for the first time since 2013, enrollment in fall 2021 dipped -0.2% to 340,638. The following year, total enrollment for fall 2022 fell again to 334,459 students.

But the fall 2023 head count increased across all four sectors of institutions within the system, with comprehensive universities up the most by number of students (3,294) and state colleges up the most by percentage (5%).

COMING UP:

• Augusta University will celebrate the milestone of reaching 10,000 students from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Douglas Barnard Amphitheater. President Brooks A. Keel and others will be on hand to celebrate the occasion.

The biggest institutional increase by numbers was at the Georgia Institute of Technology (2,665), and the largest percentage increase was at Georgia Southwestern State University (11%). Only Georgia State University (-2.8%), Valdosta State University (-0.4%) and East Georgia State College (-6.9%) experienced declines.

Also bucking the two-year downward trend, the number of Georgians attending the state’s 26 public colleges and universities increased by 6,586 students (2.5%).

Both undergraduate and graduate enrollment were up for fall 2023. Undergrad enrollment grew by 5,657 students (2.2%) from 2022. Within that, dual enrollment is up by 3,001 students (24.7%) and beginning freshman enrollment, which had declined the last two years, increased by 2,402 students (4.6%). Graduate/professional enrollment increased by 4,293 students (6.3%), with the largest growth at the master’s level (2,694/5.6%).

Demographic numbers show USG’s student population also continues to diversify. An increase in Black students (2,561/3%) reverses declines in that category over the past two fall terms, while students identifying as Asian (2,986/7%) and Latino (2552/7%) both grew, respectively. The number of white students increased (387/0.3%) for the first time since 2011, although that category still declined as an overall share of USG’s student population due to larger growth in other categories.

The enrollment numbers were released in USG’s annual fall semester enrollment report, which analyzes enrollment data by institution, age, gender, race and ethnicity, in-state, out-of-state and international students.

SEE THE THE FULL ENROLLMENT REPORT:

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