Penn State Reports Small Drop in Overall Enrollment, Increases at University Park and Among Diverse Students

Although overall enrollment at Penn State saw a slight dip this year, the university recorded increases for the number of students at the University Park campus and among underrepresented and international students.

On Wednesday, Penn State reported a university-wide enrollment of 88,116 students this fall, reflecting a decrease of 798, or about 0.9%, from this time last year. That figure excludes the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, according to the university.

The university reported a 0.4% decrease in undergraduate enrollment but noted Penn State fared better than the average 1.1% decrease across the country, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

University Park undergraduate enrollment for fall 2022 is 41,745 students, a 2.82% increase from 2021’s 40,600 students. Total enrollment at the campus increased by 2.7% to 48,197.

“As national data indicates, higher education enrollments continue to be turbulent,” said Matt Melvin, the university’s newly hired vice president for enrollment management. “While enrollments at Penn State are not immune from the effects of outside market forces, we are pleased to see this fall’s overall enrollments remaining relatively steady.”

Commonwealth Campuses reported a 3.1% enrollment decrease from this time last year, dropping the total count from 29,715 to 28,789 students. Penn State’s fall enrollment numbers at Commonwealth Campuses are, on average, outpacing pre-pandemic levels by 400 students.

Additionally, Penn State cited a nationwide return to in-person learning as the key factor behind an 8.9% drop in World Campus enrollment, marking a decrease for the third straight year. Nearly 1,600 students temporarily switched to World Campus instruction last fall compared to 561 students completing a temporary change of campus this year.

While enrollment has generally declined at each campus, Penn State reported notable gains among its diverse student groups.

Penn State’s international student population of nearly 10,000 students grew by 6.7% compared to the fall 2021 semester. A 30% increase in new international student enrollment — up from 1,237 to 1,605 this fall — exceeded pre-pandemic figures, Penn State said.

“We are undoubtedly seeing a surge in international enrollment as a result of numerous governments around the world removing their quarantine and isolation restrictions, creating a return to pre-COVID travel mobility,” said Roger Brindley, the vice provost for Penn State Global. “The increase in our international student enrollment is incredibly promising, even as the global pandemic is clearly still affecting many international students’ ability to travel.” 

The university also observed a 5.2% increase in enrollment among first-time and transfer undergraduate students who belong to underrepresented groups, defined as “Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Native Alaskan, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander,” according to a news release. Penn State’s overall underrepresented student body has observed “a steady climb in numbers” in each of the last four years.

Rob Springall, the assistant vice president for enrollment management and the executive director of undergraduate admissions, said first-year applications have observed year-over-year growth after Penn State joined the Common Application in 2018 and began offering test-optional admission in 2020.

“Interest in Penn State continues to grow, and our first-year application pool reflects that,” Springall said in a statement. “This growth is from a combination of the strength of the University’s programs and co-curricular offerings and the staff across the University who connect directly with prospective students and families to help them find their place at Penn State.”

As usual, Pennsylvania resident enrollment remained stable this fall with 51,361 students, representing a 58% share of Penn State’s total enrollment. Out-of-state enrollment figures, including international students, checked in at 42% this fall, marking a 2.5% increase from last year.

More information surrounding Penn State’s latest enrollment figures is available online. The university said it will soon publish updated charts and graphs on its Penn State Data Digest website.