As college enrollment decreases nationwide, Loyola has been no exception. With fewer students filling the classrooms, admissions faculty are developing plans to combat this issue.
Enrollment at Loyola for the 2023 year is projected to be 4,103, which is a decrease of about 7.5% from 2022, according to Loyola’s spokesperson, Rachel Hoormann.
Fewer students means less tuition money coming in. In order to prevent current costs from rising and employee salaries decreasing Hoormann said that operating budgets will be reduced.
Additionally, Hoormann said the construction of the new dorm building is still necessary despite the decreased enrollment. Currently, half of undergraduates must find housing in the off-campus marking due to a significant lack of beds.
“Currently there are not enough beds on campus to meet the 2-year housing requirement, forcing [some] students to find housing elsewhere, sometimes into less safe environments,” Hoormann said.
Despite this decrease, the recruitment process will both keep old tactics as well as exploring new opportunities to reach prospective students.
“Enrollment at any university has ups and downs over time,” Hoorrman said. “The enrollment team is constantly changing tactics based on feedback from prospective students and their families.”
According to Hoormann, recruitment will hold true to their “one student at a time” approach, which assures each student receives the individualized attention they need.
Furthermore, new university president Xavier Cole will be visiting various cities nationwide in order to connect with the extended Loyola community and Catholic high schools to increase interest and applications.
On-campus recruiting events will continue throughout the year, such as open houses during fall and admitted student days in the spring.
With the decline in traditional college-aged students, Loyola is gearing their efforts towards other opportunities of learning.
“Loyola is also focusing efforts on recruiting non-traditional students – working adults who are looking for online programs to facilitate a career change or who want to expand their skills in their chosen field,” Hoormann said.
These students include transfers and the Loyola Online program, which includes undergraduate, graduate, nursing, and other certificate degrees available online and taught by current Loyola faculty.
In spite of the lowered total enrollment at Loyola, the Wolf Pack is still celebrating some wins.
For the 2023 enrollment period, the online college is welcoming 127 new students, exceeding their original goal of 115. The College of Law also surpassed their goal of 190 with 210 first-year law students. While the incoming undergrad class is lower, 122 new graduate students are enrolled opposed to 101 in 2022.
“We held steady overall, which is a testament to the ongoing outreach that incoming students get from Enrollment, Student Affairs, and faculty,” Hoormann said.
