Due to ‘declining enrollment and a shrinking student body, @Mizzou has taken … seven residence halls “offline” in the past 2 years.’
‘As of Fall 2016, freshman enrollment had plummeted by about 25%—a drop … compared to “Tulane University the year after Hurricane Katrina.”
… by May 2016, athletics department donations were down by 72 percent.”
The prior administration handled the protests poorly and alienated their alumni and largest source of enrollment.
While sad, this makes Mizzou an excellent OOS choice.
I agree @Zinhead. Mizzou will survive and one day thrive again. OOS students should take advantage of any incentives the school is offering to attract them.
Due to state demographics, enrollment was declining at Mizzou prior to the protests. They overbuilt dorms in context of the city allowing a free for all in building off campus student housing. Certainly the protests were part of it, but probably not much. The campus is in great shape. Athletics are on the rise. I agree with @STEM2017, if Mizzou becomes a value play, jump on it.
Was just through there last summer on a midwest tour and it is still a lovely campus. Jesse Hall and the pillars still take my breath away - making the quad really gorgeous and special there. Hope they are able to rebound, Columbia can be a great college town.
Mizzou’s freshman enrollment from 2007 to 2015:
2007: 5,999
2008: 6,962
2009: 6,762
2010: 7,173
2011: 7,405
2012: 7,706
2013: 7,449
2014: 7,757
2015: 7,481
2016: 5,870
http://ir.missouri.edu/enrollment/e2-b.pdf
2017 is looking much worse at 4,009. State demographics isn’t causing enrollment to tank. The other state schools are doing OK to good (Missouri S&T/Rolla undergrad enrollment continues to increase).
To be honest, I thought 2016 would be the low point (for enrollment), I didn’t expect this. Mizzou is very dependent on tuition revenue (as are most public universities). The budget for the coming year will require layoffs and likely require degree programs to be closed,
^Wow, that is dramatic.
The protests, underlying issues behind the protests, and the administrative reaction to the protests seem like they left a bad taste for everyone of all political leanings.
The budget squeeze caused by enrollment declines makes it a vicious cycle, due to forcing more budget cuts making more people unhappy at the everything.
Not surprised. I’m sure a lot of us were helping our kids narrow down their choices during this past election cycle. I know I would have discouraged my son from applying in a school making those kind of headlines. I wouldn’t be pleased if he was heading to Berkley this fall either.
That’s a significant drop. I wonder if the demographic mix of the incoming class will be changing materially, and to what extent the protests, and the schools reaction to them, affected this. Is there any other reason for the sharp drop?
It’s really an amazing failure of enrollment management, too. They must have known for months and months that they were facing this crisis, and seemed to do nothing much about it (or nothing very effective). Having freshman enrollment drop by almost 50% over two years – that’s stunning.
What you need to be careful of is that classes are getting canceled as a result of the declining enrollment (which causes students to transfer, which further decreases enrollment). A relative attending Mizzou had to petition to be able to graduate this semester, as required classes in her major are no longer being offered. It was a huge stress.
@Gator88NE, it was indeed predicted before the protests. My sister worked in admissions at the time.
But was the drop predicted to be as large as 46% over two years (7,481 in 2015 to 4,009 in 2017)?
I’m glad Mizzou doesn’t match with my kids’ interests. Even if we had in state tuition there I’d be inclined to let things settle down before sending them our kids or our money.
That is nearly 3,500 kids. Where are they all going to?
I know that the administration made some concessions after the football team refused to play.
So what is the issue?
I am guessing that right wingers wanted the administration to hardball the football team, and the lefties want to give the students anything they ask for? Why is everyone so mad that a they won’t attend? What happened?
That’s really too bad…back in the 80s…my days…Mizzou was one of the finest universities in the country for media and journalism and fine writing…that’s a bummer.
@SouthernHope That was before a media and journalism professor was filmed ordering the media to leave and then calling in “muscle” to make them leave.