Lincoln University enrollment down 41% over the last 9 years

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

During the Lincoln University Board of Curators meeting on Tuesday, the school's governing body said enrollment has declined 41% in the following nine years.

The board of curators included that enrollment had been steady for over a decade from 2000-2011.

According to the university, the average student enrollment from 2000-2011 sat at 3,241 students. Through 2014, the enrollment was above 3,000. In 2015, the enrollment dipped and was reported at 2,944.

The total enrollment for 2020 was 2,012 students -- 1,000 students fewer than in 2014. Every year since 2015, the university has not reached an enrollment of 3,000 students. According to the data provided by the board of curators during the meeting, the university said student enrollment from 2018-2020 had dropped 19%.

According to the Missouri Department of Higher Education, Lincoln University saw a 15% increase in tuition and associated costs from the 2015-2016 school year to the 2020-2021 school year. In 2016, tuition and fees to attend Lincoln University cost $7,042 and have risen to $8,082.

Along the same timeline, the average tuition and fees increase from all Missouri public education institutions rose an average of 14% keeping Lincoln University close to the average increase in costs.

Of all the public four-year universities in Missouri, Lincoln had the largest five-year enrollment decrease sitting at a change of -31.7% from 2015-2020. The University had a change of 933 students in the five years.

Just behind LU, the University of Central Missouri saw an enrollment decrease of -30.8% over the same time period. It equates to a loss of 4,436 students since 2015.

Overall, Missouri four year public schools saw a total enrollment decrease of around -14% from 2015-2020.