About 20,000 more students are enrolled in Georgia’s public universities this fall compared to this time last year, and many of them are attending Georgia Tech, according to a presentation made Tuesday to the state’s Board of Regents.
Enrollment increased by nearly 6%, from 344,392 in 2023 to a record high 364,725 students this fall, said Angela Bell, the University System of Georgia’s Vice Chancellor for Research & Policy Analysis. The increase comes amid ongoing concerns nationally about enrollment as fewer freshmen are going to college.
Here are some key points about the Georgia system’s report:
Why is it up?
Enrollment is up at all 26 University System schools, and University System of Georgia officials believe the Georgia Match program is drawing more students to the system. Georgia Match is an initiative created last year in which every Georgia high school senior receives a letter telling them which of the state’s public colleges they have the grades to get into. About 7,000 students who live out of state or outside the United States are enrolled in the Georgia system.
Georgia Tech’s enrollment continues to skyrocket
Georgia Tech now has the largest enrollment of any university in the state, surpassing Georgia State University. Georgia Tech enrolled 53,363 students this fall, an increase of more than 11% from the prior academic year. Georgia Tech has seen a surge in students in its online programs in recent years. About two-thirds of its students live outside Georgia.
Seeking more Georgia-grown students
University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said he wants to see more Georgia high school students enrolled and earning degrees. The number of Georgia residents in the system has increased 3% since 2019. The number of non-Georgia residents in the system has risen 41% during that same time span. Most of the non-Georgia residents in the state system attend Georgia Tech.
Recruiting and retaining more freshmen
The number of beginning freshmen totaled 54,052 this fall. That’s slightly lower than the 2020 total of 54,177. Bell noted some issues, such as last year’s botched federal financial aid form application process, made it tougher for students to apply to college. While college enrollment nationwide rose 3% this fall, it’s down 5% among first-year students.
Greater racial diversity
More Asian, Black and Hispanic students are enrolled in the state’s public universities than there were in 2023. Non-white students are nearly 60% of the University System of Georgia’s enrollment this fall. The number of Hispanic students at Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia has increased nearly 50% since 2020. Asian students make up nearly 50% of Georgia Tech’s enrollment.
In other demographic shifts, Bell noted a 4% increase in the number of students 25 and older in the state system. About 56% of all students are women.
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