Private Universities Keep Enrollments Up in a Down Economy
Michael Bevis, business school chairman at the University of Phoenix, San Diego, is looking forward to a higher enrollment this year compared to last. “We don’t receive state funding like traditional schools, so we’re not cutting programs and laying off faculty,” he said. “That’s probably why our popularity is growing in comparison to other universities.” As of June, the student count at the local campus was 5,200 against 4,300 at the same time last year. That number takes into account enrollments at what the private, nationwide university calls “learning centers.”
While the downturn in the economy has prevented some people from entering college for the first time or returning to complete degrees, that number is being offset by those “who want to come back to retool their careers.”
One change observed, however, is that more students are opting to take classes online versus in regular classroom settings. This year, for the first time, more than 50 percent are taking a course online. [San Diego Business Journal]
