MU: Freshman enrollment projections up for 2019

A University of Missouri spokesman said Thursday that freshman enrollment projections have increased significantly ahead of the due date for residence hall deposits.

The University of Missouri Board of Curators is meeting Thursday to review the housing rates. Rates were approved in November, but because of the spike in applications for 2019, they are revisiting the numbers to be prepared the amount of incoming freshmen who will need housing, MU spokesman Christian Basi said.

Year

First-time College Student Enrollment

2013 6,194 2014 6,515 2015 6,191 2016 4,772 2017 4,143 2018 4,673

Data from: University of Missouri

Basi said the university saw an increase of about 13 percent in enrollment of first-time college students in 2019 over 2018. He said officials are projecting the incoming class could be anywhere from 5,200 to 5,400. That would be about a 20 percent increase from 2018. The numbers are preliminary and still subject to change, he said.

Basi attributed the increase to new leadership at the university and recruiting efforts around the state, among other things. “There are a lot of factors that have gone into play that have, we feel, contributed to the significant resurgence and interest in coming to Mizzou,” Basi said.

Basi said the university has been working to reduce the total price students are paying for education, He said on-campus residents can expect a 1.8 percent decrease in housing costs from 2018.

The curators on Thursday will also review rates for extended campus housing. With the projected enrollment numbers, Basi said the university anticipates using all on-campus housing and possibly needing to lease private buildings.

He said MU is working with some property owners but nothing is set.

“It’s a situation where we have to make sure we are ready to go, and so there’s a good chance we have had those discussions and we’ve had those agreements,” Basi said. “But the board has to approve it too. So that will come up at a later time when we have to solidify everything.”

University staff would be working in the off-campus housing units and students would still be a part of the on-campus community, Basi said..