Regents hear enrollment update

Preliminary fall enrollment figures at the four CU campuses are slightly lower than those estimated in June, though student credit hours are relatively stable, the Board of Regents heard Friday during the second day of a two-day meeting at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

A report from Chad Marturano, vice president and chief financial officer for the CU system, showed a preliminary systemwide enrollment total of 66,074, compared with the 66,677 counted at the fall 2021 census. Based on the estimates, CU Boulder is seeing a 0.8% increase in enrollment compared with fall 2021, while there are slight decreases at UCCS (4.1%), CU Denver (2.7%) and CU Anschutz (0.1%).

CU’s final fall census figures will be collected later this month, with all public higher education institutions required to report their enrollment numbers to the state by Oct. 15.

At CU Boulder, the preliminary first-year cohort is projected to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, with 7,100 students. That’s a 4.6% increase over fall 2021. A slight decrease in continuing undergraduate students is attributed to increased graduation rates. Click here for more on CU Boulder’s preliminary enrollment report.

At UCCS, while fall-to-fall enrollment is down by 265 students compared with the June estimate, student credit hours only are down 0.5% compared to the same estimate. This fall also sees a 2% increase in undergraduate transfer students compared with fall 2021.

Despite an overall enrollment dip, CU Denver this fall sees increases in new freshmen and undergraduate transfer students.

As is typically the case, CU Anschutz shows enrollment stability year over year.

Click here to see more detail in slides as presented to the Board of Regents.

In other business at last week’s meeting:

• Marturano also reported to the board on the introduction of a new metric to CU’s 2021-26 Strategic Plan, tracking retention of diverse faculty and staff. The metric came about following a Board of Regents request during a goal progress update last January. From now into February, goals and action steps for DEI employee retention will be refined, with discussion of campus goals and action steps slated for the regents’ February meeting. Click here to see more in the presentation.
   
• The board passed a resolution of appreciation for the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, which is marking its 50th anniversary.