About 178 UChicago students took leave of absence in Spring 2020

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

It appears 178 or so UChicago students took leave in the spring quarter because of Coronavirus.

Fall 2018 there were 6600 undergrads enrolled. Fall quarter 2019 there were 6790 with growth in College. (The official university census is Fall Quarter. The number drops each quarter through winter and spring as students complete requirements, etc. Then it resets next Fall Quarter.)

Spring quarter 2019 there were 6251 enrolled (with the normal decline through the school year). However Spring 2020 there were 6263. There should have been 190 more than the year before based on Fall enrollment. Instead there were only 12 more. So it appears 178 took leave.

Keep in mind UChicago normally has very low attrition. 99% of first years students return for next fall—about the highest in the country.

Fall 2018 - 6600
Fall 2019 - 6790

Spring 2019 - 6251
Spring 2020 - 6263

2

Could it just have been a year when more students ended up abroad in non- U of C programs?

Also thinking it could have been students from Asia who couldn’t return for the beginning of the semester (who would then show up as on leave.)

3

I have no doubt it’s connected to the Coronavirus situation. (Whether people chose willingly to take the quarter off, or simply couldn’t make it back as you noted–although they could have done online classes if they wished but may not have wanted to).

The drop in Spring enrollment is larger than previous years

Fall 2016 - 5971
Spring 2017 - 5588 (-383 drop from Fall 2016))

Fall 2017 - 6286 (+315 from Fall 2016)
Spring 2018 - 5919 (-367 drop from Fall 2017 )

Fall 2018 - 6595 (+309 from Fall 2017)
Spring 2019 - 6251 (-344 drop from Fall 2018)

Fall 2019 - 6790 (+185 from Fall 2018)
Spring 2020 - 6263 (-527 drop from Fall 2019)