Pennsylvania's Universities Are Losing Students; Worse Than Most States
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- While students enjoy their Christmas winter break, Pennsylvania's colleges and universities are getting some bad news.
Student enrollments are declining.
"There's fewer kids who are graduating high school in the state of Pennsylvania for sure, and in the country in general," says Dr. Helane Linzer, who helps families get their kids into some prestigious universities.
Linzer says it's no longer like the old days.
"For years, the college enrollments were swelling, and the talk was always how much harder it is to get into college."
Now a just released report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found student enrollment in Pennsylvania's public and private universities down 18,390 students this academic year, fourth worst in the nation.
Finishing worse were New York's loss of 30,695 students, Illinois' loss of 26,089 students, and Michigan's loss of 25,841 students.
Undergraduate college enrollment nationwide is down 310,000 students, particularly among those over the age of 24 as older students opt not to complete their degrees or simply not to go to college at all.
Fewer high school graduates mean a smaller pool of potential college students for four-year institutions.
But cost is another key factor.
"College has become very expensive, scarily so for many families," says Linzer, "so some people are opting to do other things rather than go to college."
In fact, some can make six figures without college debt by taking a two-year degree or certificate program, especially for skilled technician-type jobs that are in high demand.
"We do have a shortage," says Dale Nine of Homer Nine & Sons, a heating and cooling company. "We are facing the same shortage a lot of companies are facing, no matter what industry you're in."
It all adds up to declining enrollments for many 4-year schools that have over-priced themselves.
Pennsylvania's enrollment is down more than 18,000 this year and 33,000 since the fall of 2014.
So what schools are suffering?
"Unfortunately, there's a variety of them -- both state public schools and private schools," says Linzer. "I think some of the smaller private schools that don't have a huge endowment and are maybe in areas that don't attract just by virtue of being in a great city."
As college enrollment declines dramatically in Pennsylvania and across the nation, experts say, that means colleges have to become more competitive, finding their special programs that will attract more students.
While enrollment is down at many schools, some like Duquesne University have held their own.
"They do a great job at being strong in areas like the health sciences, which in our region and elsewhere is very needed," says Linzer. "But also I'd like to believe they're stronger because Pittsburgh is stronger. I mean Pittsburgh is becoming a more cool and hip city by the moment."
Linzer says for schools to succeed they really need something special -- a niche program that helps them stand out and prepares graduates for jobs from the get-go.
"Training students in college with real world applications so that students can come out and get jobs in fields of the present and future, rather than fields of the past -- so fields like cybersecurity, all the tech fields, computer sciences are very quickly rising major."
Schools that adjust quickly are the likely survivors.
Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter
